Crash Landing
by StarCrusader
Summary: Lucy Heartfilia's plane crash landed when she was on her way home, leaving her and the other passengers stranded. She and a near-complete stranger, Natsu Dragneel, end up exploring the island and all of it's secrets. What will they find out? Will they ever get to leave? Will they survive? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

Lucy Heartfilia sat on the plane, staring out the window. She watched as the never-ending stretch of white fluffy clouds lay beneath, sighing to herself. She was on a plane back to Fiore from China due to a business trip. She had only been on her flight for an hour, but she was ready to get off.

The man seated next to her, who had weird pink hair, seemed to have motion sickness. His head rested on her shoulder, and every time she tried to shake him off, he'd just plop it back again. _What a nuisance,_ she thought, but a small smile graced her face. _He's kind of like a child, though._

"Refreshments?" A voice brought Lucy back to reality as she looked at the female flight attendant.

"I'm fine, but do you have any motion sickness patches or pills? This man desperately needs some." Lucy didn't want his head against her shoulder for the entire flight.

"Of course!" The flight attendant rummaged through her things, eventually pulling out a few packets. "These are patches. In his condition, he won't be able to take any pills." She handed Lucy the packets, walking away when the blonde began to protest.

"I don't wanna put these on him, he's a complete stranger!" She mumbled. She sighed, realizing she didn't have a choice. She took off the paper backing, gently putting the patch on the man's arm. After a few moments, the color began to come back to his face.

"Wow! Thanks so much!" He exclaimed, sitting back up. "My name's Natsu. I'm in your debt!" He grinned, and Lucy gave him a smile back.

"Don't worry about it! I was tired of you drooling on me. My name's Lucy."

The two ended up talking for about thirty minutes until the plane began to rock violently. A few of the passengers let out cries, and Lucy gripped the armrest, not caring that Natsu's hand was being crushed by her own. A light flashed, warning everyone to put on their seatbelt.

"Don't worry, Luce. It'll be okay." Natsu said as he helped her with her seatbelt.

 _"Attention all passengers! Our engine gave out, so we're going to have to make a crash landing! Everyone fasten your seatbelt, and put on your oxygen masks! Don't panic, try to stay calm!_ " A voice, presumably the pilots', came on over the speakers.

Oxygen masks came down from the ceiling, but Lucy didn't put hers on just yet. She looked over, noticing a woman having trouble with her child, who didn't want to put the mask on. Quickly, Lucy undid her seatbelt, rushing over to the child, much against Natsu's orders to stay in her seat.

"Ma'am, put on your oxygen mask! I'll help your child." Lucy didn't wait for an answer as she began soothing the child, telling her that everything was okay. She quickly grabbed the mask as she began to feel light headed. The child complied, and Lucy was able to secure the mask to her face.

"Luce, hurry up! We're losing altitude quickly!" Natsu shouted.

"Aye!" She shouted back, running to her seat. She felt her world begin to spin as she tumbled into her seat fidgeting with her mask. She saw the corners of her eyes going black, her breathing ragged.

"Luce, calm down!" Natsu shouted as he took the mask from her. He effortlessly put it over the blonde's head, instructing her to take deep breaths as he refastened her seatbelt. After a few minutes, she was able to breathe properly again, and her world wasn't spinning anymore.

"Tha-" Lucy was cut off when the plane made impact with something, making her groan in surprise. The lights went out and everyone screamed. Lucy closed her eyes, hand clutching onto Natsu's for dear life. He squeezed back, and then everything went black.

 ** _xxxx_**

A groan escaped Lucy's throat as she slowly began to wake up, hand flying to her head. When she opened her eyes and stared at the ground, blinking several times so she could remember what happened. She looked around, noticing an unconscious Natsu by her side. The rest of the passengers were wreaking havoc everywhere, pushing everyone to get out of the plane. Looking out the window, Lucy saw greenery. _A forest?_

"Natsu, wake up!" She said, gently shaking him. "Natsu!" She yelled this time, desperate for a response.

"Hm?" He groaned, eyes slowly fluttering open. "Lucy?" He lifted his head, his eyes meeting worried brown ones.

"Are you okay?" She asked, looking into his eyes as if they held the answer.

"I-I think so. What happened?" He looked around questioningly.

"We crashed. C'mon, we need to get off of this plane." Lucy helped him with his seatbelt, helping him stand up.

"Where's the pilot?" Natsu asked as they made their way to the exit.

"Let me go check the cockpit. Maybe he can get a radio signal and send out a message for help." Lucy made sure Natsu was able to walk safely before making her way to the front of the small plane, but nothing could prepare her for what was going to happen next.

A shriek left her lips as she stared at the scene before her. There was blood everywhere, and the pilot's head was completely bashed in. Another shriek left her lips, and she stumbled back, landing on her butt, trying to get away from the scene. She didn't hear someone calling her name, but her attention was snapped back to someone that wrapped their arms around her shuddering body.

"N-Natsu?" She whispered, tears streaming from her eyes.

"Let's go, Luce. The radio's busted, anyway." _From the pilot's head hitting it repeatedly..._ But neither one said it. Instead, they made their way outside, only to find everyone gone.

"Where is everyone?" Lucy asked, looking around. The sun glared at them between the branches of the trees.

"I don't know. Maybe they got scared and ran off." Natsu said.

"We need supplies before we leave here. Let's go get some from the plane." They didn't know how long they'd be here, so if they wanted to survive, they'd need some food and water, as well as medical supplies.

"Agreed." Lucy dug around in the cubby that was above her seat, taking out her carry on. She made sure that it had at least one extra pair of clothes, and began to fill it with some water bottles she found in the flight attendant's cabin. She also found some peanuts, basic first aid supplies and flashlights.

"Natsu, what'd you find?" She sweat dropped when she saw him stuff sodas and desserts into his own bag. Luckily they both had back packs, making carrying everything easier. "We need important things like water, idiot!"

"But... These are good..." He held up a brownie, a goofy grin on his face.

"Whatever. Anyway, we need to start heading out. Maybe we can find civilization somewhere."

"Right." Natsu said, the duo making their way out of the plane. The sky was looking dark, and Lucy knew that they should try to find people. She wouldn't able to sleep anywhere _near_ the plane after seeing the cockpit. Besides, what if the deceased pilot attracted dangerous animals?

So, Lucy and Natsu sat out, not knowing what this new land awaited them.

 ** _xxxx_**

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _So, how was it? I love stories like these, so I hope I can make this one my best work yet. Let me know how it was!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy huffed out as she climbed up onto another branch. Currently, she and Natsu were trying to climb up a tree, figuring it'd be better to stay off of the ground. There could've been predators, and they figured they'd have a better chance of survival in a tree throughout their first night on the island.

Natsu was above Lucy, considering she was wearing a mini skirt and didn't want a stranger to see her parts, and was _really_ far ahead. It's not that Lucy was unfit, but it was the fact that Natsu was _too_ fit. The night was getting colder, and Lucy cursed herself for not having anything warm to put on.

"Oi, Luce, y'alright?" Natsu called from up above.

"H-Hai!" Lucy called back, trying to climb up faster. When she finally reached Natsu, she didn't dare look down. With her luck, she'd fall out of the tree, meeting her demise.

"Geez, Luce, you're so slow!" Natsu cracked a grin, but Lucy could hardly see it in the moonlight.

"Whatever, Mr. Olympics." She muttered, eyes rolling. She brought out her phone, trying to see if she could get a signal. Of course, though, it was hopeless.

"Luce, look how pretty the sky is." He whispered in her ear, sending a shiver down her spine.

"Wow..." The sky looked like it had thousands of sparkling diamonds in it, and the moon was breath taking. When she glanced at Natsu, she noticed that, instead of staring at the sky, he was staring at her. "Eh?"

"N-nothing! Anyway, we should probably try to sleep."

"How? We're up in a tree..."

"I have really good balance, so if you lean on me, we won't fall out. Trust me, I used to sleep in trees all the time when I was a kid."

"Really? Promise I won't fall?" Lucy didn't really feel comfortable about it, but somewhere inside her, she felt like she could place her trust in Natsu. He hadn't been anything but kind to her, so the least she could do was put some faith in him.

"I promise, Luce." Natsu's grin gleamed in the moonlight, and Lucy found herself smiling back.

"Okay, I trust you." Leaning back against her new friend, Lucy felt his arms snake around her waist, making her feel safe. "Goodnight Natsu."

"Goodnight Luce."

 ** _xxxx_**

As the morning sunlight filtered through the trees, it hit Lucy's shut eyes, causing her to stir awake. As her eyes fluttered open, she had to cover her mouth with her hands so she wouldn't scream. She had forgotten that she fell asleep in a tree, let alone with Natsu. She felt his hot breath against her neck, which actually felt kind of good. She had never really been with a guy like this before, and she blushed.

"N-Natsu! Wake up!" Lucy urged. They needed to get moving if they wanted to find people.

"Five more minutes..." He groaned, squeezing Lucy tighter.

"N-Natsu.. can't breathe.." She felt her lungs being crushed.

"Hn?" Natsu seemed to realize his actions, and immediately let her go. "Sorry, Luce."

"It's fine. We should probably explore more." Lucy carefully pulled away from Natsu, beginning to climb down the trees' branches. Her backpack felt heavy, but she didn't really mind too much; as long as she had it she could survive.

"So, where do we go?" Natsu asked as they leapt to the ground.

"I don't know, to be honest. When we were up in the tree, I noticed that the ocean can be seen everywhere, which means we're on an island, but trust me when I say it isn't small. Maybe there's a radio tower somewhere? If there is, we can send out a signal for help." Lucy began to walk through the greenery, not really sure where she was going. Natsu obediently followed, his gaze wandering everywhere.

After about an hour of walking, Natsu and Lucy froze in their tracks when they heard a loud roar.

"W-w-what the hell was _that?!_ _"_ Lucy cried, fear poisoning her body.

"We need to get outta here, Luce!" Natsu grabbed her hand, running back the way they came, weaving through the trees. Another roar sounded, this time closer, and Natsu only ran faster, dragging the blonde behind him. Lucy glanced back, trying to catch sight of whatever was following them. Through the trees, she noticed a large brown shadow making its way towards them.

"Natsu, we have to hide somewhere! It's behind us!" Panic and adrenaline coursed through their veins, and their legs began to pump faster, taking them in an unknown direction. Natsu kept taking sharp turns, trying to throw the creature off, but it didn't work; the shadow was always following.

"Luce, do you trust me?" Natsu panted.

"Huh?" She was taken off-guard by his question.

"Do you trust me?!"

"Yes!" Lucy shouted, not knowing what he was planning.

"Good!" Natsu shouted as they began to reach a clearing. Once the clearing came closer, Lucy noticed that it wasn't just a clearing, it was a _cliff._ Without having time to ask Natsu what was going on, she heard wind whistling in her ears as she and Natsu jumped off the cliff, not a scream or shout escaping either of their lips. They closed their eyes, and Lucy felt Natsu pull her into his arms as they fell, his warmth spreading through her body.

Soon, though, that warmth was replaced by a loud splash followed by a wet chill. The two pulled apart, kicking their legs to the surface. They swam towards the shore, both panting heavily. Their legs were like lead, and all they wanted to do was rest. More forest was spread out in front of them, and Lucy thought that she'd never be able to go camping again after this.

"Natsu, look!" Lucy gasped, pointing up to the cliff. She could've sworn that the creature was a cross between a lion and a bear. Its head was that of a lion, but the body resembled a grizzly bear. Lucy sat down on the shore, her brain feeling like it was going to burst.

"What the _hell_ is that?" Natsu asked, squinting at the creature. "A lion mixed with, what? A bear?"

"Why is there something like that _here?_ How can it even exist?" The creature turned around and left, leaving its almost-dinner to contemplate its existence. "Am I dreaming or something?"

"There's no way that we saw it right. Maybe our eyes are playing tricks on us." Natsu sat down next to Lucy, head in his hands.

Lucy didn't answer, but instead stared at the pond, watching as the wind blew small ripples through it. Then, a new set of ripples caught her eye, and she focused on it. These ripples were going _against_ the wind.

"Natsu..." Lucy whispered, eyes wide with panic. "We need to leave."

"What's wrong, Luce? Are you feeling okay?"

"Natsu, we need to go!" Lucy shot up, grabbing his hand, turning to run. Before she could, though, a loud splash caught her attention, and she turned to face the source.

"Holy shit, _run!_ " Natsu screamed, and he didn't have to say it twice. They ran back into the forest, trying their best to get away from their newest enemy. This time, it was a crocodile mixed with a snake. The head of it was that of a crocodile, and its' body was a snake. The body was really long and thick, and it moved _really_ fast.

"It's still behind us!" Lucy cried out. She didn't know how much longer she could keep running. Her legs felt heavy, and her soaked backpack wasn't helping at all.

" _Shit!_ " Natsu was exasperated, fear and anger running through him. "Don't worry, Luce, I won't let it hurt you!"

"Worry about yourself first, idiot!" Lucy yelled at him. "Don't worry about a stranger!"

"But you're not a stranger! You're _Luce!_ _"_ Lucy's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't decide if it was because of what Natsu said or if it was from the fear of the chase.

"We really just need to focus on running!" Lucy glanced back, and the creature was only a few yards behind. A rustle in a bush caught Lucy's attention, and she watched as a rabbit mixed with a squirrel came out, also catching their predator's attention. The croco-whatever decided to chase after the poor rabbit-squirrel, and Lucy couldn't help but feel bad for the little thing. _Better it than us, though._

"Natsu, it stopped following us!" Lucy panted, desperately wanting to stop running.

"Thank Mavis." Natsu stopped running, leaning against a tree. "What is this place?" He didn't expect Lucy to answer, so she decided not to. She was just as confused, wanting answers as well.

"How are we supposed to survive?" She asked.

"We need weapons." Natsu walked over to a large stick that was on the ground. "If only I could sharpen this, then we could use it as a spear."

"We also need to make traps. I'm starting to get _really_ hungry..." Lucy hadn't eaten since yesterday on the plane.

"Me too. Wait, what if they're sending people to come find us?" Lucy's eyes widened with the thought; it had never occurred to her.

"You're right! Surely someone will come to save us, right?" Hope bloomed inside the two, restoring a bit of luster to their eyes.

"We need to find food." Natsu said, looking around. "Maybe there are some berries?" When he spied some delicious-looking red ones, he walked over, plucking one.

"Wait, Natsu! It could be poisonous!" The boy stopped short of popping it into his mouth. "Maybe we should stick to animals?"

"Maybe you're right..." He threw the berry on the ground, watching as it sizzled like acid when it broke open. He shivered, backing away from the fruit.

"How are we going to do thi-" Lucy was cut off by a scream. "What the?" She jumped up and ran over to where the scream originated from.

"Luce, wait!" But she didn't listen. She had to find whoever was screaming before it was too late. Another scream cut through the air, and Lucy willed herself to run faster, Natsu close by.

"Help!" Somebody cried out.

"I'm coming!" Lucy shouted, searching for the person in need. She looked to her left and saw a younger girl with blue hair, crying, back pressed against a tree.

"Help!" She screamed out again.

"I'm coming!" Lucy shouted again. She ran by the girl's side, turning to face whatever was making her fuss. Then, a shriek of her own escaped her lips. Before them was the same lion-bear that chased her earlier. Noticing Natsu wasn't by her side, a pang of hurt rang through her heart. _Did he ditch me?_

"Don't worry, I'll save us." Lucy slowly took off her backpack, eyeing the beast carefully. She dug around until she found what she was looking for. _My lucky whip!_ She puled it out, a small smile on her face. Her friend, Virgo, had given this to her, and she carried it almost everywhere she went. _How did I forget about it?_

"You picked on the wrong people!" Lucy shouted, cracking her whip at the enemy. The beast roared in pain as the whip hit its side. "Go away!" Lucy puffed out her chest to make herself seem bigger, slashing at the bear-thing again. It roared once more, then ran away.

"I'm here, don't worry!" Natsu shouted coming through the brush nearby. His face fell when he saw Lucy and a small girl hugging each other tightly, tears streaming from the littler one's eyes. "What'd I miss?"

"Don't worry about it, Natsu." Lucy smiled slightly, noticing he was holding a sharpened stick. _He made that to protect us._

"What's that?" He motioned to the whip in Lucy's hand. "My lucky charm. Anyway, sweetie, what's your name? Are you okay?" Lucy bent down so she was eye-to-eye with the bluenette.

"I-I'm Wendy. And I think I'm okay." She sniffled, wiping away her tears. "Thank you so much, miss!" She flung her arms around Lucy's neck.

"Don't worry about it. We have to take care of everyone, right? My name is Lucy, by the way, and this is Natsu." Wendy pulled away, looking between them.

"Are you guys married?" Natsu and Lucy both blushed, shaking their heads 'no'.

And so, the group number went up to three, and their adventure together was only beginning.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _So? How was it? I_** ** _'m so excited for this story!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy wandered around the forest, sweating uncontrollably. While Wendy and Natsu set up traps, she decided to check around for survivors. She was the only one with a weapon, so she figured if she got attacked, it's better her than anyone else. She kept walking in the same direction for what seemed like hours.

"I should probably start to head back..." She mumbled, remembering her promise to be back by sundown. She began to turn around, but the sound of running water made her stop in her tracks. "Water? We definitely need some of that!" Lucy ran in the direction of the noise, excitement flooding through her veins.

When she finally found the creek, she stopped abruptly, seeing the most terrifying sight she could ever imagine. There was a _naked_ man in the creek. For a moment, their eyes met, and Lucy blushed furiously, adverting her eyes.

"I'm so sorry! I-I didn't think anyone was here!" She turned around, waiting patiently for him to get out and get dressed. She heard rustling as he put on his clothing, and turned around when he told her to. He had beautiful jet black hair and dark, piercingly dark eyes.

"My name's Gray."

"Lucy." She mustered up a smile, still blushing. Gray had a pinch of pink on his cheeks, as well. "Are you alone?"

"Yeah, you're the first person I've seen in this damn jungle. What about you?"

"I have two others. Will you join our group? I actually came out to find other people."

"Well, I don't have anything better to do. Lead the way." Lucy smiled at the man, and turned around, staring straight ahead.

"Uhhh..." She sweat dropped, not knowing which way to go.

"You're lost, aren't you?" She chuckled nervously in response.

"I'm pretty sure it's this way." She pointed straight ahead, and began to trudge along, her new friend right behind her. The sun cast beautiful streaks of pinks, oranges and reds across the sky, reminding Lucy that her time to find the others was almost up.

Lucy kept walking, although she was pretty sure she was lost. She didn't recognize any of the plants around her, and she began to worry.

"Oi, you sure you know where you're at?" Gray asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"Yeah!" She lied, looking around. Then, she was filled with relief when she saw a tree she recognized. It was in the shape of an 'L', just for 'Lucy'. She grabbed Gray's hand and began to run, not wanting to know what lurks in the dark.

"Well that went from 0 to 60." Gray smiled, and Lucy turned around, smiling back. Her foot caught on a root, and she tripped, dragging Gray down with her. She yelped, her butt hitting the ground hard, followed by her back. Gray landed on top of her, both of his hands beside her face.

They laid there for a moment, dazed, unaware of the presence that appeared. "Luce?" Natsu asked, eyes squinting at the scene before him. He saw a mystery man on top of Lucy, and she looked to be in pain. "What the fuck are you doing to her?" He yelled, anger filling his voice.

Lucy looked over at Natsu, who seemed to be pretty upset. "Natsu?" She asked.

"Get off of her! Pervert!" Natsu yelled, picking Gray up by the collar.

"Who're you calling a pervert, freak?" Gray retorted, pushing away from Natsu.

"Guys, stop it!" Lucy was getting upset that they were already fighting. "It wasn't like that, Natsu. We tripped on a root. Where's Wendy?"

"She's back by the traps." His eyes softened when he looked at her.

"We'd better not leave her alone. She doesn't have a weapon." She began making her way back, followed by the two morons.

 ** _~The Next Day~_**

Lucy and the others began to wander around. They had caught some undistinguishable animals, but they tasted kind of like chicken, and everyone was able to eat their fill.

"So, why do you guys think of this place? Like, why are the animals here mutated, and why hasn't anyone come to help us yet?" Gray asked, hands behind his head.

"I don't know. It reminds me of one of those sci-fi movies where mad scientists experiment on animals and stuff." Natsu replied, walking next to Lucy. Every now and then, their arms would brush, making both of them blush slightly.

"Shouldn't there be a radio tower or something?" Wendy asked.

"I don't know. I'll climb this tree real quick and have a look around." Lucy reached up and began to climb up the tree, the rough bark digging in her hands.

"I'll go, too. I have good eyesight." Natsu said following her. Lucy glanced down, noticing that Natsu looked away, a small blush on his face.

"Hey, don't look up my skirt, pervert!"

"Who'd _wanna_ look at _that_?" Natsu asked, a smirk on his face.

"Whatever." She mumbled back, focusing on the limbs above her.

They finally reached the top, leaning against the rough bark of the trunk. "Wow." Lucy breathed, looking at the beauty of the island.

"I know." Natsu had a faraway gaze, watching as the clouds above rolled by.

"Radio tower." Lucy reminded them. She began looking around, squinting.

"Oh, look!" Natsu cried out. "Over there!" Natsu pointed to a group of trees.

"I don't see it."

"Right there, Luce! Squint harder." She did as she was told, and gasped in shock. The tip of a tower was barely visible.

"Oh my god, Natsu! You're amazing!" Lucy felt a rush of excitement, and she pecked his cheek with her lips, a smile plastered on her face. "This is so exciting!" Lucy exclaimed. Then she noticed the blush on Natsu's face, and she realized that she had just _kissed_ him. She blushed herself, and coughed awkwardly, beginning to climb back down.

"So?" Gray asked.

"This way." Natsu began to lead the group, and Lucy said she'd take the back, just in case if anything tried to attack. The truth was, she didn't want to be around Natsu. Not after she kissed him. Sure, it was just a peck on the cheek, but his reaction made everything more awkward.

Lucy stayed caught up in her thoughts throughout most of the day, even during their water breaks. She decided not to make eye contact with Natsu, and she kept to herself for the rest of the day. As it got darker, everyone decided that it'd be best to set up camp.

"I'm gonna climb this tree. You know, to see how far away we are." Lucy didn't wait for a response as she began to climb. When at the top, she rested against the rough bark of the tree, sighing. She watched through the branches as Natsu started a fire using just sticks, and a small smile spread on her lips.

She looked back up at the sky, studying the constellations that were spread out before her. She remembered how her mother would always take her outside, showing Lucy the beauty of the night. When Lucy heard someone breathing next to her, she was startled at first, but then assumed it was Natsu, and she sighed.

"Look, Natsu, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to do it, I swear." When he didn't reply, she sighed again. "Won't you say something, please?"

"Oi, stop stripping!" Natsu yelled from below.

"What're you gonna do about it, punk?" Gray retorted.

"Natsu-san, please stop fighting." Wendy said.

Lucy's blood ran cold when she realized that none of her friends were in the tree with her. The breathing continued, and Lucy slowly turned to face the source of the noise, a cold shiver running down her spine. When she saw what was in the tree with her, she couldn't scream. Fear made her immobile, and she began to shake uncontrollably.

Right in front of her was a large black shadow with piercing yellow eyes. "S-shit..." She mumbled. She could feel the hot, moist breath on her face, the smell of rotted meat accompanying it. Her hand clutched her whip, but there was no way she'd be able to use it. The beast was too close.

"Oi, Lucy, you'd better come down before something bad happens!" Gray called from below. _A little too late for that..._ Lucy thought bitterly. _What am I supposed to do?_ A low growl sounded from the beast. _Is it about to attack?!_ Panic flooded through her veins and stomach. The shadow slightly shifted, and Lucy knew it was about to pounce on her.

"Shit!" She yelped, quickly trying to get down the tree. The monster was right behind her, like it was an expert when it came to trees.

"Luce? What's wrong?" Natsu called from below, making her heart skip a beat.

"Run!" She shouted, hoping her friends would listen.

"L-Lucy-san?" Wendy cried out.

"Run, dammit!" Lucy yelled, then she jumped out of the tree, even though she was still about 50 feet up in the air. She knew the monster was right on her heels. She used her whip, watching as the end of it wrapped around a thick branch, then used the momentum to swing into another tree.

The monster just simply jumped after her, a growl escaping its lips. She jumped out of the tree just before the creature could swipe at her, and she braced herself to hit the ground, but the impact never came. Instead, a pair of strong, warm arms caught her, making her eyes snap open. Natsu stared down at her, a smirk on his face.

"Did you really think I'd leave you, Luce?" He asked, and her heart fluttered again.

"Move, Natsu!" She cried out as the beast jumped down in front of them. In the firelight, Lucy was able to make out its features better. It was a gorilla's body with a jaguar's head, claws and tail.

"Damn, that thing's ugly." Natsu set Lucy down, cracking his knuckles. He picked up his spear, and confidently walked over to the beast.

"Natsu, wait!"

"I'll protect you, no matter what." Lucy blushed, but ignored it.

"I'm helping."

"Go to Gray and Wendy. You'll be safer there." He jabbed his spear, hitting the shoulder of the enemy.

"No, I wanna stay by your side, Natsu!" Lucy cracked her whip, hitting the beasts' other shoulder. It roared out in pain.

"Dammit, Luce, run!" Natsu shouted, turning to face her. That was his mistake, though. The monster took this moment to pounce, and Lucy barely had time to push him out of the way. Sharp claws cut into her back, and she cried out in pain.

"L-Lucy!" She heard Natsu shout. The pain was unbearable, and she could hardly breathe. She saw the corners of her eyes darken, then the blackness overcame everything, and she spiraled into unconsciousness.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Sorry it took me a while to update. I'm in a different state, hanging out with family. I hope you liked this chapter! Sorry if it was rushed, but I wanted to get this out of the way. Hope you enjoyed!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	4. Chapter 4

Lucy's eyes fluttered open as a groan left her lips. She noticed that her back was really sore, and that she was laying on her stomach. She heard voices calling to her, but they sounded far away, and her world began to tip as she struggled to sit up. One voice stuck out over the others, but Lucy couldn't quite place it.

"Luce, wake up!" It called out. She groaned out in response, forcing herself to sit up. She had to know who the voices belonged to. When she sat up, she felt dizzy, and was able to lean on something hard, but warm.

"Lucy-san, are you okay?" Lucy met a set of worried brown orbs, and she squinted.

"Wendy?" The name came from her lips, and the little bluenette smiled in return.

"Yes, Lucy-san, it's me. Gray and Natsu are here, too." Lucy looked around, noticing two men; one with pink hair (the one she so happened to be leaning on) and the other with black.

"Pink... hair?" She was confused for a moment, but then everything came rushing back to her. The crash, her new friends, and the monster that slashed her back.

"Hey, Luce. How do you feel?" Natsu asked, wrapping an arm around her to keep her steady.

"Tired. What happened to the thing that slashed my back?" A wave of guilt crossed over Natsu's face, and Lucy couldn't help but feel bad. _Does he think that I'm hurt because of him?_

"I somehow managed to spear its heart, but that doesn't matter right now. We need to look at your back." Lucy looked over at Gray, who wouldn't make eye contact, a blush on his cheeks.

"I'm sorry, Lucy-san, I tried to make them leave while I tended to your wound, but they refused." Wendy sweat dropped as Lucy looked down at her body, eyes widening. Her shirt was missing, and she was in her bra.

"N-Natsu, don't look! Go away!" Lucy pushed away from him, covering her chest with her arms.

"Okay, okay. Gray and I will go behind that tree. If you need anything, yell for us." Natsu stood up, leaving the area with Gray.

"Alright, Lucy-san, will you lay back down please? I need to put these herbs on your back."

"How do you know that they won't hurt me?" She asked, laying down on her stomach once again.

"I have a grandma who makes medicine from herbs, and she taught me everything she knows. These herbs should help you heal faster." Lucy winced as they were placed on her scratches, the pain shooting through her body.

"I-I see... Ouch!" Lucy cried out in pain, making Wendy flinch.

"S-sorry!"

"It's not your fault." Lucy mustered up a smile.

"You know, Natsu-san feels really bad. He blames himself for you getting hurt, and when you went down, it was like he became an entirely different person."

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked, wincing as she sat back up.

"Well, it's like he was evil, almost. His face was in a scowl, and when he attacked the monster, it was like he had been training for months to fight these animals. It didn't stand a chance against him." Wendy slightly shivered.

"Hmm. I wonder what he does for a living. He _is_ really fit." Lucy slightly blushed at the thought of his muscles.

"Yeah. Here, Lucy-san. I found this in your bag." She handed her a black tank top and a red mini skirt.

"Thanks!" Lucy wasted no time getting dressed, but she had to do it carefully. Otherwise, the wound would re-open. When she finished, the guys came back, their eyes landing on Lucy. She had to admit, she looked hot, but she felt embarrassed with all of the attention, so she suggested that they move on towards the radio tower.

"Here, Lucy, hop on." Gray said, bending over.

"Huh?"

"I don't want your wound to open when you walk, so I'll carry you." She smiled at his kindness, climbing on his back.

"Thanks, Gray!" She wrapped her arms around his neck, chin on his shoulder. He wrapped each arm around one of her legs. Natsu stared at them, and a low growl escaped from his throat. Nobody but Lucy seemed to hear it, though, so she quickly dismissed it, blaming her imagination.

"Okay, Natsu-san, lead the way!" Wendy smiled.

"Aye!" He gave her a small smile, then turned on his heel, heading towards the radio tower.

 ** _~Later~_**

Lucy slid off of Gray's back when they all decided to take a break. The sun was at its highest peak, making the group miserable. The only normal creature in the forest seemed to be the damn mosquitos, which were _everywhere._ Lucy swore she had bites everywhere.

"How are you holding up, Wendy? This weather isn't good on the body, and you're so young." Lucy was concerned about the girl, not wanting her to get heat stroke.

"I'm really tired, but I'll be just fine! You should be careful, too, you know. Here, I should probably change the herbs." She lifted Lucy's shirt, peeling the plants off. "Whoa..." Wendy mumbled, shocked.

"W-what? Is it bad?!" Lucy asked, nervous.

"Natsu, Gray! Come here!" Wendy called them, and they obediently ran over, concerned.

"What's wrong?" Natsu peered at her back, mouth slightly agape. "Damn," was all he said.

"Will someone _please_ tell me what's going on?!" Lucy asked, scared.

"Your back is healing alarmingly fast, Lucy! There are only three long, skinny scabs." Gray marveled.

"No way!" Lucy reached back, gingerly touching the spot. It didn't hurt, which amazed her. She felt Wendy apply the herbs once more.

"Wendy, you're like, a wizard!" Natsu exclaimed.

"O-oh, thanks!" She smiled brightly.

"We should probably get going. If we're lucky, we'll reach the radio tower tomorrow." Natsu said, walking away.

Lucy decided to walk by herself, since she figured her wound wasn't bad enough to worry about anymore. She let her thoughts wander as she followed the others. Her whip was attached to a belt that hung around her hips, and every now and then she'd let her fingers play with the handle.

 _I hope people come to save everyone. They probably have families to go home to._ Lucy thought sadly back to her parents, and realized that she had nobody to go back to. Her mother and father were gone, and she didn't have any other family members to worry about her. _Nobody would be worried if I died here..._ The thought tormented Lucy, and stomach was heavy with sorrow.

She was ripped from her thoughts when she looked to her right, coming face to face with a _really_ big bird. It had the body of an ostrich, but it had the neck, feet and color of a flamingo. She yelped in surprise, backing away. The bird just stared at her curiously, cocking its head.

"Lucy?" Gray asked. Everyone turned to look at her.

"S-sorry, that bird just startled me, that's all." Lucy smiled, silently cursing the bird for making her look like a fool. A chuckle escaped from Natsu, followed by Gray, then Wendy, too. Lucy laughed with them, the bird staring at them like they were the weirdest things it'd ever seen. They needed to have something to laugh about on this island, or else they'd go crazy.

 ** _~Later~_**

After many hours of walking, everyone sat on the ground, exhausted. The sun was setting, setting the sky aflame. Lucy leaned against a large rock, staring up at the sunset.

"Pretty, isn't it?" Gray asked, sitting next to her.

"Yeah." She breathed, a small smile creeping on her lips.

"Hey, Luce? Will you help me gather some firewood?" Natsu asked. His face had a weird look on it, almost as if he were uncomfortable.

"Sure!" Lucy stood up, following Natsu into the trees, wandering a few minutes away from camp. "Uh, why'd we come all the way out here? There was wood by the camp, you know."

"Yeah, but it's peaceful over here." Natsu smiled at her, bending over to gather whatever wood was on the ground.

"Yeah." Lucy smiled back, picking up a few sticks of her own. "Uh, Natsu?"

"Yeah?"

"It wasn't your fault, you know." Lucy said.

"Yeah, it was, Luce." He stopped grabbing sticks to look into her eyes, sadness dancing in his own.

"Natsu, I pushed you out of the way! I did it on my own, so don't blame yourself."

"If I hadn't let my guard down, it wouldn't have happened!" He nearly yelled.

"Natsu..." She set her sticks down on the ground, then walked over to him, pulling him in for a hug. "It's not your fault, okay?" Lucy whispered in his ear.

"Luce..." He stood there, not knowing what to do. Before he could hug her back, she pulled away, a smile on her face.

"Anyway, let's head back. We should start a fire before it gets cold."

"Y-yeah."

 ** _~The Next Day~_**

Lucy walked in the back of the group again, whereas Natsu was in the front. According to him, they should arrive at the tower in the evening. Lucy smiled as she watched Natsu walk ahead of the group, an aura of leadership surrounding him. In the meantime, Wendy and Gray were making small talk, depicting what they'd do when they got home.

 _If we ever get to go home. It's been days and we haven't seen a rescue plane..._ Lucy thought bitterly. A rustling nearby caught her attention. It was so small, that she was the only one who noticed, the others continuing to walk on without her. _What is that?_ She crept towards the brush, but was startled when something came out.

"A snowman?" She asked watching as it hid behind her legs. "But it's not made of snow?" It looked like it was terrified of something, which worried Lucy. She looked deeper into the brush, and found a pair of glowing red eyes staring back at her. "Fuck." She looked to where the others _should've_ been, but they were already gone.

"I'm all by myself?!" She exclaimed, looking back at the set of red eyes. The little snowman-thing trembled behind her legs.

"P-puuun..." It said. _A snowman that_ talks _?!_ Lucy gripped her whip, removing it from her belt.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." She said to the creature behind her legs. She was wasting time just standing here, but she knew she had to deal with whatever was in the bush before catching up to the group.

Slowly, she bent down, picking up the snowman, holding it protectively in her arms. She slowly began to back away from the brush, and fear began to settle in the pit of her stomach. When she was a few feet away, she turned on her heel and began to run. Soon after, there was a loud rustle, and when Lucy looked back, that fear spread into every limb.

It was a wolf mixed with a fox, but it looked like a red wolf. It was beautiful, but Lucy knew that it was a danger, too. "Shit, shit, shit!" She cried out as it got closer. As she ran, weaving through the trees, she cracked her whip at the creature, but it dodged easily. "Seriously?" She cried, the creature in her arms trembling.

"Hold on tight, Plue!" The name came so easily, and she had to smile a bit when it nodded at her. She jumped up, grabbing a branch with a hand, pulling herself into it. The red wolf growled in anger, circling the tree. Lucy brought her new friend to her chest, holding onto him tightly. She didn't want the poor thing to become lunch for their shared enemy.

Lucy sat in the tree, scared to death of the creature that circled it. She cracked her whip at it several times, in attempt to scare it off, but it didn't work. _What should I do?_ She thought about her options, then something clicked in her brain. _I have leftover meat from earlier!_ She dug around in her bag, grabbing the meat that resided in a plastic bag. The wolf eyed it curiously, and when Lucy threw it far away, the wolf ran after it, letting Lucy sigh in relief.

"Oh, Plue, how are we supposed to get back to the group now?" She asked.

"Pun puun." The creature replied.

"We are _so_ screwed, aren't we?"

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Hope this chapter was up to par! I absolutely_** **had** ** _to put Plue in here! I love him!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy held Plue in her arms as she ran in the direction towards the radio tower. They were close, and she only hoped that her friends would be there when she arrived. The trees didn't hide the sunset, which Lucy was somewhat glad for. At least she could see a beautiful sight before her friends killed her for making them worry.

"Don't worry, Plue! We'll be there soon!" Lucy panted, not breaking her run. She jumped over roots and bushes as she went.

"Pun pun!" Her little friend replied. Lucy ran for several minutes, smiling from ear to ear as she approached the radio tower. Her run slowed to a walk as she got closer to the door, but stopped when she heard shouting from inside.

"We don't have time to worry about her!" She heard Gray yell.

"She's part of this group, too, stripper!" Natsu yelled back.

"She's too weak to be with us! Haven't you noticed that she's the _only_ one who gets in trouble?" Gray yelled.

"Gray-san, please don-" Wendy began to say.

"She's stronger than you think, moron! She saved Wendy from a monster! She warns us when there's trouble!" Natsu yelled.

Lucy leaned against the cold metal building, tears escaping her eyes. She knew that they were talking about her, but she knew that every word Gray said was true.

"She's been in more trouble than she's done good! Besides, she's probably already dead! We don't even know _where_ she is! What if she was snatched up by something when we weren't looking?"

"I refuse to believe that!" Natsu shouted.

"Open your eyes, flame brain! That's how this island works! Survival of the fittest!" Natsu didn't say anything back, and Lucy lost control of her silent sobs, choking on them now. _They're right. All I do is cause trouble..._ Lucy rested her chin on Plue's head as she wiped away her tears.

"I don't think Lucy-san is dead. I believe in her." Wendy suddenly spoke up.

"Oh, not you, too!" Gray was exasperated. "Even if she's not dead, then there's a good chance she would be, soon. I hate to admit it, but that's how this place operates." Gray sounded sympathetic.

"Wendy, he has a point." More tears choked her as she covered her mouth, trying to be quiet. Natsu was going to side with him?

Lucy decided she couldn't take any more of this, so she stepped in the doorway, watching as their faces dropped. "Is that what you guys really think? That I'm just a nuisance?" Lucy sniffled, wiping away her tears.

"Luce!" Natsu jogged over to her, but she pushed him away.

"Stay away from me!" She yelled.

"L-Lucy, we-"

"Shut up, Gray. I heard everything you guys said." She backed up, the urge to run away from them strong.

"Lucy-san, we didn't know what happened to you... This island can easily take lives." Wendy looked like she was about to cry, too.

"Luce, please, I'm sorry." He walked over to her, but she just backed up.

"I'll leave you guys alone. Who'd want to be part of a group that puts you down, anyway?" Lucy turned around to leave, but a hand grasped her wrist, yanking her back into a hard, warm chest. Just as quickly, Gray shut the door, locking it.

"Get of-" Lucy was cut off by a warm hand clamping over her mouth.

"Shh, Luce, there's something out there." Natsu whispered in her ear. She pushed away from him and set Plue on the ground, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah, right." She peered out a window, but sure enough, there was the same red wolf from earlier. "Shit, it followed me! I do nothing but put everyone in danger!" She cried out, shutting the curtain.

"Wait, is _that_ the reason you disappeared?" Gray asked.

"Yeah. Plue hid behind me, then we were chased by it. I tried to lead it away from you guys, but it followed me anyway..." Lucy looked down in disappointment. "Anyway, did you guys look at the radio?" She walked over to it as the others watched Plue with interest. She couldn't see much of it in the dark, so she gave up, instead noticing the staircase.

"I'm going upstairs to check everything out." She said, the stairs creaking beneath her. When she got to the first floor, she tried to open the doors, but had no such luck; they were locked. "Dammit."

"Want some help?" Natsu asked from behind her, startling her.

"Go away, Natsu." Lucy pushed past him, climbing up to the second floor.

"Luce, please just listen to me." He pleaded.

"No, I heard what you said. I thought at least _you_ would believe in me until the end." She tried the first the door, and it swung open for her, revealing a run-down room.

"Luce..." She ignored him, not wanting to hear it. "Luce?" Ignored. "Lucy, dammit!" He pushed her up against a wall, his eyes glittering in the dark. She gasped in surprise, slightly scared of him. He had his hands on either side of her face, his forehead pressed against hers.

"N-Natsu, what the -"

"Shut up and listen. I stood up for you! It broke me when I thought you were hurt, or worse; dead. I don't know why, but I _have_ to protect you, Lucy. You're important to me, and I _never_ want to lose you, understand?" His hot breath fanned against her face, making her shiver.

"N-Natsu..." She could hardly breathe. She had never been pinned like this by a man, and she _liked_ it.

"Do you understand?" He asked, his eyes softening.

"Y-yes, I do." She breathed out. He didn't pull away, but instead they stood there for a while longer, just staring into each other's eyes in the dark. The sun had set, and the only light was the moon that filtered in through the curtains. Lucy tensed when Natsu brushed his hand against her cheek, making her face feel like fire.

"Pun pun!" Lucy looked down to see Plue's outline, slightly sad when Natsu pulled away.

"I should go downstairs and help with the radio." He said, turning to leave. Lucy just leaned against the wall, staring at the door.

"I guess I should explore more, huh, Plue?" Lucy dug in her bag, pulling out a flashlight. When she clicked it on, she let the light bathe the room in a while light.

There was a filing cabinet, desk, a few dead plants and a picture on the desk. Lucy decided to check the cabinet first, pulling open the metal draws with a squeak. She rummaged through the files, not finding anything useful. So, she went over to the desk and began to open the drawers, digging through the old papers. She was about to give up when she saw what looked like a map. Carefully, she pulled out the paper and unfolded it on the desk.

In the corner, there was a name scrawled in black ink. "Tenroujima? Is that the name of the island?" Lucy looked at the map closely, noticing that there were a few buildings marked on it. _Buildings?_ She folded the map back up and slid it into her bag, a small smile on her face. She turned to leave, but stopped when the light landed on the picture on the desk.

She picked it up, noticing that it was a picture of a little girl, probably around four years old. The picture was in black and white, but Lucy could've sworn she'd seen the girl somewhere before. She slipped the photo from the frame, looking for a name on the back. When she found it, it was written sloppily, so she squinted, making out the letters.

 _L...a...y...l...a... Layla?_ Lucy was shocked when she realized the little girl was her mother. She had a bright smile, and was wearing a beautiful dress. _There's no doubt, this is my mom!_ She stared at the photo in disbelief. _What does my mom have to do with this island?_

Lucy tucked the photo into her bag, too, and left the room, checking the others. They were all locked, so she went up to the third- and final - floor. There was only one door, and she was surprised when it, too, opened. Plue stood shakily behind her as she made her way into the room. The only things in it was a dresser and a bed.

She walked over to the dresser, sifting through the drawers. The only things she found were men's clothes. She walked over to the bed, lifting up the dusty sheets and mattress, finding nothing.

"C'mon, Plue. There's nothing in here." She made her way to the door, but stopped when she noticed a slim door. "A closet?" She walked over to it, turning the handle. As it opened, the smell of rotting meat blew out at her with a small gust of wind. Inside was the rotting skeleton of a person. She gagged, stumbling backwards.

The smell made her stomach churn in disgust, and even Plue seemed affected. "What the fuck?!" She shone her light back on the corpse, noticing the clothes on it. They matched the ones in the dresser, and her heart dropped as she had another flashback.

 _"Mommy, where's grandpa?" A little Lucy asked, gazing up at her mother. Sadness crossed over the woman's face as she stared down at her child._

 _"He disappeared when I was a little girl. Nobody knows where he is."_

 _"He must be lonely..." Lucy looked down at her feet, sighing._

 _"It's okay, honey. Now, it's time for you to get washed up for dinner!"_

Lucy felt tears prick her eyes, but she didn't let any escape. She looked behind the corpse, noticing a key on a hook. She knew she needed it, but didn't want to go past the corpse.

"Plue, stay here." Lucy commanded, walking over to the closet. She plugged her nose, creeping towards the closet slowly, half expecting the corpse to get up and chase her. When she reached the door, she bent over the corpse, trying her hardest not to throw up. The key was barely out of her reach, so she got on her tiptoes, straining her fingers to capture the key.

She smiled when she got it, but screamed when the corpse fell against her leg, despite her attempts to stay away from it.

"GROSS!" She screeched, stumbling back. She grabbed Plue and flew down the steps, colliding into someone on the last flight down.

"Luce?!" Natsu touched her face, brow creased in worry.

"Do _not_ go upstairs. Especially you, Wendy." Lucy shivered as she remembered the dead man touching her.

"What's that smell?" Gray asked.

"Death." Natsu said for her. "Lucy, what's up there?" But he already knew the answer. _All_ of them did.

"M-my grandfather." Lucy said, watching everyone gape at her.

"What'd you just say?" Natsu asked, squinting into her eyes.

"Your _grandfather?!_ " Wendy exclaimed.

"It's a long story..."

"Well, we have time." Gray said.

 _ **~Later~**_

Lucy just finished her story about her grandfather, and everyone sat in silence, contemplating what all of this meant.

"My brain feels like it's going to explode..." Lucy murmured, head in her hands. She felt Natsu wrap his arms around her, trying his best to comfort her.

"Oh, I almost forgot, I found a map!" Lucy exclaimed.

"A map? Of the island?" Wendy sounded excited. "Let's see it!"

Lucy rummaged around in her bag, carefully pulling out the old map. She placed it down on the floor, shining her light on it. "There are some buildings close by, so maybe we should try to go there? There could be some clues."

"Wait, is that the name of this island?" Natsu asked, pointing to the corner. "Tenroujima?" As soon as he said it, he tensed, staring down at the map. Lucy and the others stared at him, worried.

"Natsu?" Lucy waved her hand in front of his face, and when he fell backwards, she scrambled to catch him, barely in time before he hit the ground. His eyes were blank, and his body was limp. "Natsu, pull yourself together!" Lucy cried.

"What's that?" Gray asked, pointing at his neck. There was a spider there with a scorpion's tail, and Lucy was worried, noticing that it was small. The smaller the scorpion, the more _poisonous_ it was.

"Shit!" Lucy brushed it off of him, then watched as Gray stamped on it repeatedly.

"He's been poisoned! We need to get it out of his system, or else he'll die!" Wendy had tears in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Natsu. It'll be okay." Lucy whispered in his ear. "Wendy, what if I suck the poison out?"

"T-that's dangerous! You could save him, but you'd be risking your life..."

"I have no choice." Lucy laid Natsu down on the ground gently, then turned his head so she could see where the small hole filled with poison was. Not wasting time, she pressed her lips to the spot, beginning to suck away the bitter poison. Every now and then, she would spit the poison from her mouth, then go back to sucking his neck.

Lucy could practically hear the clock ticking on his life, so she tried to go faster, desperately trying to save his life. _You can't leave me now, idiot! We have to go back home!_ Tears welled up in her eyes, and began to stream down her face. After about five minutes, Natsu let out a soft groan, but Lucy still didn't stop. She had to get _all_ of the poison out, or else she would lose him forever.

"Lu..cy..." He whispered, giving Lucy the courage to keep going. "Stop... You'll be... hurt..." He said louder. He moved his hands to push her off, but Wendy and Gray held him down, knowing that Lucy had to finish this.

"Get off!" He began to struggle more, and Lucy had to press his head against the floor so he wouldn't struggle too much. Once the poison was replaced by the taste of blood, Lucy sat back, having finished. Natsu was let go, and Lucy ran over to get her bottle of water, thoroughly washing her mouth out. Then, she cleaned Natsu's wound with the first aid kit she had.

"Lucy, that was too reckless!" Natsu said, grabbing her shoulders. "Remember that thing you said about not putting a stranger before one's own needs?"

"But you're not a stranger, you're _Natsu."_ She smiled, using his own words against him.

"Idiot..." He muttered, pulling her in for a bone-crushing hug.

"Oi, flame brain, we don't wanna see your romantic moment." Gray said. Wendy was looking away, probably blushing.

"What was that, stripper?!"

"You heard me, moron!"

"Yup, he feels better." Lucy smiled, earning a giggle from Wendy.

"Hey, Lucy?" Gray scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I think I owe you an apology..."

"It's fine, Gray. You were right, anyway. This island shows no mercy, and I'm certainly not very strong, so it's fine." Lucy smiled.

"It took a lot of courage to save flame brain." Gray smiled back, and Lucy felt awkward, so she changed the subject.

"So tomorrow we're heading to this building, right?" She asked, pointing at the map.

"Yup!" Wendy said. "Hopefully we'll find some more clues, since the stupid radio is broken.

"Broken?"

"Yeah, there's parts missing." Natsu said, running his hand through his hair.

"This is going to be a _long_ 'vacation', huh?" Lucy asked bitterly.

Oh, she had _no_ idea.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _I know, another update in one day! Fuck yeah!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	6. Chapter 6

As everyone else was sleeping, Lucy stared at the ceiling, thinking about her mother. She had never told Lucy about her grandfather, and when she asked, her mom would always change the subject. And now, she's found his corpse. Lucy played with the key, rubbing her fingers over the cold metal. She sat up, stepping over her friends as she made her way upstairs, flashlight in hand.

When she made it to the first floor, she tried to unlock the doors with the key, but none of them budged. She pinched her nose as she went up to the second floor, not wanting the stench of death to fill her nostrils. She tried every door again, but none of them budged, either.

"What's this stupid thing go to, anyway?" She mumbled, heading down the stairs. Her friends were still passed out, but she couldn't blame them. Especially Natsu, since he almost died earlier.

 _I wonder if people on the plane have passed away._ The thought came quick and uninvited, but with what her group has gone through, it was entirely plausible. She crept over to the window, deciding that she should at least keep watch if she was going to stay awake. The red wolf had long ago left, so she didn't expect much to happen.

"Couldn't sleep, either?" A quiet voice asked.

"Yeah." She turned, meeting Natsu's gaze. "You should try to rest though. You were almost killed earlier, and you need to save up your strength." She went back to gazing out the window, Natsu beside her.

"Thank you, Luce." His whisper sent a delightful shiver down her back.

"You would've done the same for me." She turned to smile at him.

"Yeah." Lucy's eyes trailed down to where the wound was, and she gasped, followed by a quiet chuckle.

"What?" He asked, touching the spot gingerly.

"N-nothing!" She smiled, turning around. He had a hickey from where she sucked the poison out, and she thought that it was funny. _I never thought I'd give someone I met a few days ago a hickey._

"Luce, what is it?" He began to freak out, not knowing why she was laughing at him.

"You have a hickey." She chuckled more as she said it aloud.

"A what? What's that?" Lucy turned back to him, seeing confusion on his face.

"You seriously don't know what a hickey is?" _Wow, he's innocent._ Lucy smiled at the thought. _He's like a child._

"No! What is it?!" Natsu whispered loudly, so he wouldn't wake the others.

"Ask Gray in the morning." Lucy couldn't wait to see how _that_ conversation would go. "Now, go back to bed. We'll be leaving in a few hours." Lucy turned back to the window, staring at the glowing moon.

"What about you?" Natsu asked, slinging an arm around her shoulders.

"I can't sleep, so I figured I'd keep watch." She unconsciously leaned into his warmth. The nights on the island were terribly cold.

Natsu sat down, leaning against the wall. He grabbed Lucy's hand, bringing her down with him. "We're inside of a building, Luce. We'll be fine." His whisper was hot in her ear, and she shuddered. As she leaned against him, his warmth spread through her body, making her feel sleepy.

"You're dangerous." She said with a smile.

"How so?"

"You're too easy to trust. It's like you have a spell on me..." Her whisper was faint as she slipped in a comfortable sleep with Natsu's arms around her, holding her close and making her feel safe.

* * *

Everyone made their way through the forest, swatting mosquitos as they went. Gray had teased Natsu about the hickey, and Lucy giggled when he found out what it was. Wendy walked next to Lucy as they talked about their lives back home.

"What do you do for a job, Lucy-san?"

"I'm a journalist. I was in China to do a report on a few things. What about you, Wendy? You're really young, do you even have a job?"

"Not really. I help my grandmother with her herbs. I was only in China because I had to visit some family."

"It must be nice, having a family." Lucy smiled sadly, earning a sad look from Wendy.

"You don't have one, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked.

"Not ever since I was younger. I don't have anything to go back to. But that's okay. That just means if something bad happens to me here, nobody has to be sad."

"Of course people would be sad! I know that I would be. And so would Natsu." Wendy gave her a small smile, both looking at the man several feet in front of them.

"O-oh, I don't know, Wendy." Lucy looked away from Natsu as he walked.

"You like him, don't you?" The bluenette whispered in her ear.

"Eh?" Lucy felt her cheeks heat up, and Wendy just giggled.

"Knew it." Lucy's blush deepened as she drew her gaze back to the pink haired male.

"Maybe just a little." Lucy knew that an island filled with dangerous creatures wasn't the place to try to find love, but for some odd reason, she felt attracted to this man.

"Oi, we're gonna stop here for a bit. We need to set up more traps for food." Natsu said, turning around. "Wendy, will you help me?" The bluenette nodded, leaving Lucy's side.

"Hey, Lucy, wanna help me find things to make weapons?" Gray asked. She smiled and nodded. She was the only one with a _real_ weapon. Natsu had his stick, but it wouldn't save him from _everything._

"Be careful!" Wendy called after them.

"We will be!" Lucy shouted back, walking next to Gray. They weaved through the trees, cursing the hot sun.

"I swear, this place was _designed_ to kill people..." Gray muttered.

"Wait, what did you just say? Designed?" Lucy creased her brow in thought. "Why does that sound so familiar?"

"What're you thinking?" He asked.

"Think about it, Gray. I mean, there's _no way_ that these creatures were made naturally. What if they were designed? Like, by people?"

"You've got a point." Gray said. "Let's think about that later. We need to find weapons."

They wandered through the forest for what seemed like hours, but finally decided to turn back, empty-handed.

"Did you guys find anything?" Natsu asked.

"Nope. I think out best bet is to find a body of water. Then, we can find sharp rocks, attach them to sticks and use them." Lucy said.

"Hey, that's a good idea!" Wendy clapped.

"Good thinking, Luce. For now, let's continue to the building on the map. And eating. I'm starving!" His stomach growled in agreement. "Oh, Luce? Will you help me look for the building? We should climb a tree or something." Without waiting for her answer, he began to climb a tree, so she followed suit. When they reached the top, they looked around, searching for the building.

"Is that it?" Lucy asked, pointing to a bunch of vines. They looked like they were covering a large structure.

"It might be." Lucy looked over and caught him looking at her.

"Okay, well I guess we can head back down now." Lucy said, about to climb down.

"Wait! I had another reason for asking you to come up here with me." Natsu's cheeks were tinged pink.

"U-uh, okay." Lucy sat down on a branch, letting her feet dangle.

"I wanted to get to know you better." He said, mimicking how she sat.

"What do you want to know?"

"Well, I overheard you and Wendy talking." Lucy blushed, heart pounding.

"A-and?" She gulped, nervous.

"I _would_ care if something happened to you, Luce. You're my friend." Lucy sighed in relief. _Hopefully he didn_ _'t hear the rest of it._

"Thanks, Natsu. I'd care if something happened to you, too." She felt suffocated being next to him. His presence was alone enough to make her on edge, but safe at the same time.

"I don't have any family, either. My father disappeared when I was young. That's why I was in China; he always talked about how pretty it was there, so I thought that maybe, just maybe, he'd actually be there." His daze was downcast.

"I'm so sorry, Natsu." Lucy gently placed her hand on his shoulder as if to say 'It's alright.'

"It was a long time ago, so it's fine." Natsu smiled a genuine smile at her, and she swore she had a mini heart attack.

"We should probably get back down there."

* * *

Lucy was walking in the back of the group again, fiddling with her whip. The sun was still high in the sky, beating down on them through the trees. Plue walked beside Lucy, who found it amusing that he stuck with the group. Sure, she saved his life, but normally creatures would even run away from their saviors.

"It's too hot for this..." She muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. She was getting a headache, and she figured she was getting dehydrated.

"Don't worry, Lucy-san, we're almost there." Wendy sounded miserable, but her smile never faded.

The group continued their walk in silence, and Lucy's headache was getting worse. She brought out her water bottle, only to find it empty.

"Does anyone have any water? I think I'm dehydrated." Lucy began to slightly wobble.

"I think we're all out." Gray said, not even turning around.

"Don't worry, Luce, it's close by. Maybe another 15 minutes?" Lucy's peripheral vision began to blacken, and she struggled to walk right. She didn't say anything about it, but instead tried to power through. Her stomach tossed and turned within her, threatening to empty its contents.

"I don't think I'll make it..." Lucy muttered, the world beginning to tip.

"Fuck!" Natsu yelled, but he didn't catch her in time. She hit the ground, eyes closed and mind blank.

* * *

When Lucy woke up, her forehead felt cold and wet. She struggled to sit up, her body heavy like lead. A cold compress fell from her head, and she winced when the cold touched her leg. She opened her eyes, waiting as they slowly adjusted to the darkness. From what she could tell, she was in a room by herself. She was on an old, dusty bed, but she figured it was better than the floor. When she realized how small and dark the room really was, she began to freak out, flashbacks of her father locking her in a closet flooding her mind.

"I have to get out of here!" She began to breathe heavily, fear striking her.

She stood up, groaning softly. Her head was pounding, but she pushed it aside, staggering to the closed door. The handle was cold in her clammy hand as she jiggled it, panicked when it wouldn't open.

"No! Open, please!" She cried, jiggling it over and over again. No matter what she did, though, the door wouldn't open. _There_ _'s gotta be a window or something._ She scanned the room, eyes finally landing on a square on the wall. _There!_

She jogged over to it, throwing the curtains aside. Iron bars kept her inside of her dark prison, although the outside was just as dark. She could hardly see the moon. _Am I still on the island? Where am I? Is this a jail?_ As these thoughts swirled in her head, more fear coursed through her. _Where is everyone?_

"Lucy? Are you awake?" A voice asked along with the creak of the door. Lucy turned around, tears in her eyes as she attacked the familiar person, wrapping him in a hug.

"Please don't lock me up..." She held tightly on Gray, terrified of the cramped space.

"Lucy? What's wrong?" He lifted her chin to look into her eyes. When he noticed that they were filled with tears, his eyes seemed to soften, and he wrapped his arms around her, trying to comfort the poor blonde.

"C-can I leave this place?" She asked, the room suffocating her.

"Y-yeah! Let's go." Afraid that the room would swallow her up, she latched onto Gray's arm, eyeing the darkness warily.

He led her through a hallway, then into a large room where Wendy and Natsu sat, watching as the two came in. They had built a small fire in the fireplace, and were sitting on a couch. Natsu seemed to be staring at Lucy's hands, which were latched onto Gray's arm. Noticing that she was still on him, she awkwardly let go, thanking Gray for letting her out of the room.

"How do you feel, Lucy-san?" Wendy asked as Lucy sat down between her and Natsu. Plue sat on a cushion by the fire, trembling even though the room was warm.

"My head hurts. What happened?" She remembered feeling sick, but then everything was blank.

"You passed out." Natsu said. "Are you sure you should be out of bed?" He had concern written on his face.

"I should be fi- urk!" Lucy doubled over, the sickness in her stomach returning.

"Here, let's sit on the floor." Natsu made Lucy lay on his lap as he played with her hair, trying to calm her down. A few minutes of his magic touch made Lucy feel sleepy, and she slowly closed her eyes, letting her mind slip away once again.

* * *

Natsu stared at Lucy's sleeping face, fingers still running through her silky hair. "Oi, Gray, why was she so flustered when you guys came in? You didn't touch her, did you?"

"N-no! When I opened the door, she was crying and shaking, begging me to let her out of the room." Gray had a small blush on his face, which didn't go unnoticed by the salmon-haired man.

"I wonder why she acted like that..." Wendy trailed off, staring at the woman on the ground.

"Maybe it has something to do with her past?" Gray wondered aloud.

"Poor Lucy-san... She's been through a lot..." Wendy stared into the fire as it crackled.

Everyone remained silent, all falling asleep in the warm, cozy room.

* * *

Lucy was the first to wake up as the sun began to rise. She opened her eyes, staring up at a sleeping face. It was Natsu's, and he looked peaceful as he slept, and for a moment, it was as if they were all back in the normal world, having a sleepover at someone's house. She slowly reached her hand up, tucking a strand of his hair behind his ear.

As she pulled away, his hand shot forward, grabbing her wrist. Lucy gasped in surprise, heart beating excruciatingly fast. His eyes fluttered open as he slightly groaned, then stared at the wrist he was latched onto. Lucy's cheeks were hot, embarrassed for getting caught in the act of something so affectionate.

"L-Luce?" He whispered, cheeks pink.

"There was something in your hair." She said it so smoothly, even she tried to believe it.

"O-oh, thanks." He gave a sheepish smile, letting go of her.

"So, did you guys look around yesterday?" She sat up, happy to not have a headache.

"Only a little bit. This place used to be a residency."

"Wait, then why were there bars on the window?" Lucy asked while stretching, hearing a few satisfying pops.

"We don't know that, either. We should wake up Gray and Wendy so we can split up and explore." Natsu stood up, Lucy following suit. After everyone was up, they each took a flashlight, then went their separate ways. Lucy and Plue were sent to the lowest level, her flashlight lighting up the dark. It was deathly silent, the only noise was her breathing.

The cold air was musty and stuffy, reminding Lucy of a burial chamber. The downstairs level was like a basement; boxes full of junk were everywhere. She began to dig through one, sighing at the fact that it was full of toothbrushes and toothpaste. She threw four toothbrushes into her bag, also adding some toothpaste.

The next box had shampoos and conditioners in it, so she took some of the bottles, knowing Wendy would probably like to take a bath. The rest of the boxes were full of little things, such as floss, sunscreen (she definitely took a lot of it), toothpicks, cotton swabs and combs (she took a few, just in case).

When she got to the last box, she noticed it was bigger than the rest. When she tried to move it, she couldn't, it was too heavy. It was taped shut, unlike the others, so she dug her nails into the old tape, struggling to open the package. When she finally managed to wrestle the tape off, her eyes lit up.

"No fucking way!" She exclaimed, excited. The box was full of _knives._ "Guys, get down here!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. A few moments later, she heard several feet scurry down the crickety steps.

"What's wrong?" Natsu was beside her in a second, and he gasped when he looked in the box. "Holy shit..." He reached down, picking up a knife.

"Damn, Lucy! Nice find!" Gray bent over, examining the box with Wendy.

Gray and Natsu dumped the box of knives onto the ground, watching as various ones spilled over the floor. Everyone began to choose their weapons, happy that they were finally able to defend themselves. "Wait, what's that box over there?" Lucy asked, jumping up, going over to it. It was tall and not very wide. She didn't see it since it was tucked away in the corner.

She squealed when she opened it. "There's so many swords in here!" The others went over to where she was. Natsu took out a katana that had a red handle and sheath. When he unsheathed it, the blade glowed sinisterly in the light of the flashlight. Lucy went with two of them, both with black sheaths and handles. She also found a strap that kept them on her back, so she could pull them out over her shoulders. Her bag fit perfectly on top go them.

Wendy found a blue handled and sheathed katana, finding a strap that kept it in place by her hip. The katana was somewhat smaller than the rest, which fit her perfectly. Gray decided on a sword that had a blue gem right above its handle. It was shaped in the form of a cross, and it had a weird blue sheath that attached to his hip. Then, they went back over to the knives, deciding it'd be best to have multiple weapons.

Natsu found a knife with a leather sheath, and it had a strap that kept it on his hip, along with his katana. Wendy found two daggers that she strapped to her thighs, and Lucy did the same. Wendy's daggers were straight, whereas Lucy's had a crooked blade, kind of like a lightning bolt. Gray found a simple dagger with a leather sheath, attaching it to his hip like Natsu did.

Only one thing bothered Lucy; _why are there such dangerous weapons here?_

"Now we can _actually_ protect ourselves!" Lucy smiled as they headed back up the stairs. "Did you guys find anything?"

"Only unoccupied bedrooms." Gray said as the reached the top of the stairs.

"Where should we go after this?" Wendy asked, sitting down on the couch.

"We should probably find more water before one of us passes out, but we definitely need a place to stay. This place has beds and protection, so I think we should set up our base here." Lucy said.

"There's a creek nearby, according to the map. We can get our supply of water there. Also, where there's water, there's animals, so we can get out food there, too." Gray said, leaning back next to Wendy. "Wendy and I can go get water and food if you two try to clean up some of the rooms. That way we have a clean place to sleep."

Lucy and Natsu nodded, watching Gray and Wendy leave. "Yosh, let's do this!" Natsu exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

* * *

Lucy panted, having cleaned two rooms thoroughly. Her weapons were next to her bed, since she didn't want to feel their weight while she cleaned. Plue was fast asleep on the bed, trembling even in his sleep. She decided to check up on Natsu, entering the room he had been working on. Instead of cleaning, he was lying on the bed, snoring. Lucy growled, making her way over to him, fists clenched. She smirked evilly, grabbing an old marker that was on a nightstand, uncapping it to make sure it wasn't dried out.

She climbed on top of Natsu, marker in hand. She brought it down to his face, but before she could mark on him, his eyes snapped open, and before she knew it, he had her pinned on the bed, his eyes glaring into her own. She gulped, marker falling from her hand. After a moment, his eyes softened, and he sat up, arms crossed over his chest.

"H-how'd you know...?" She trailed off, staring at him in awe.

"Instincts, I guess you could say." He smirked, eyeballing the marker.

"N-no, Natsu, don't you dare!" Lucy tried to reach the marker, but Natsu was quicker. He plucked it off of the ground, an evil grin plastered on his face.

"Let's see, what should I draw first?" Lucy tried to push him off of her, but he grabbed both of her hands with only one of his own, pinning them above her head. "Whiskers? A unibrow? Maybe even a mustache?" He chuckled, bringing the marker closer to her face slowly as she struggled against his iron grip.

"I-I'm begging you, please!" Lucy's heart beat picked up as she tossed her head side to side, trying to avoid the marker's tip.

"I like hearing you beg. Do it again." The marker was only a few centimeters away.

"P-please, Natsu!" He cheeks were flushed from her battle, and Natsu's grinned deepened.

"I don't know..." He chuckled again.

"I-I'll do anything!" She cried out, but instantly regretted the words.

" _Anything?_ " He sent shivers down Lucy's spine as he thought about it. "Deal." He dropped the marker, standing up. Lucy huffed out, knowing she wasn't going to like where this was going.

"So, what is it?" She asked, bracing herself.

"I want you to clean this room and the other one I was supposed to clean."

"You mean you did _nothing?!_ " Lucy sighed, standing up. "Fine." She said, getting to work.

* * *

Wendy and Gray made it back unharmed with fresh water and dinner. After everyone ate, they all went into their rooms. Well, except for Lucy. She decided to stay in the lounge room for a bit longer, not wanting to go in the dark bedroom. She'd much rather sit by the fire than in a cold, dark room. The minutes went by silently as she stared into the crackling flames, mind blank.

She knew she should go into her room and get some rest, but she'd feel suffocated in there. It was only bad in the dark, like the closet her father locked her in. She didn't want to be thrown into another jail. _Maybe I_ _'ll just sleep out here?_ She contemplated the thought, but eventually put it aside. An actual bed would feel better than an old, lumpy couch.

She got up from her place on the couch, turning to go to her room. As she turned, she glanced out the window, and swore that she saw a pair of eyes staring back at her. Cold shivers ran through her body as she just stared out the window, half-expecting somebody to be staring back at her. When she couldn't see the eyes anymore, she tried to shrug the feeling off, but somehow she couldn't.

The eyes were human, but had an animalistic hunger to them. _Maybe I_ _'m just tired. Yeah, that's it! I'm imagining things!_ She sighed out, lightly smacking her face a few times. _There_ _'s no way that there's someone outside, right?_ She looked back towards the window, but her heart fell. This time, there were multiple pairs of eyes staring back at her, all filled with the same hunger.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Cliffhanger! It_** ** _'s late and I'm tired, so goodnight everyone! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	7. Chapter 7

Lucy was frozen in her spot, paralyzed with fear. The eyes simply stared back at her, as if they dared her to move.

"Lucy-san? Are you okay?" Wendy asked, entering the room. She had come to check up on her after noticing she wasn't in her room.

"Wendy, go back to your room." Lucy said slowly. _Why didn_ _'t this damn window have bars?!_ Lucy cursed whoever designed the building. "Now!" Lucy shouted, startling the young bluenette.

"Lucy-san?" Wendy's eyes traveled to the window, and she gasped in shock. "W-who are they?" She asked.

"Get out, Wendy!" Lucy turned, grabbing her wrist, pulling her away from the room. Just as they left, the window shattered, and the glass cracked as shoes stepped on it. Lucy quickly navigated the way to their rooms, shoving Wendy in a random one, telling her to lock the door behind her. She did as she was told, and Lucy went to go into a room, too, but someone grabbed her hair, painfully bringing her back into a hard chest.

"Oh, you're not going anywhere, sweetheart." A cruel voice whispered in her ear. It was a man.

"Get off of me!" She shouted, struggling against the arms that contained her.

"That's not gonna happen."

"What about the other one?" Another man asked.

"She was flatter than a board! Leave her!" Another spoke up.

"Get off!" Lucy tried to elbow the man, but she had no such luck. The man holding her squeezed her tightly, dragging her backwards. If only she had her whip...

"How 'bout we go into a room?" The man dragging her backwards breathed into her, sending shivers of disgust throughout her body. He opened a door, throwing her inside. She noticed that there were only the three men, and all had a hunger inside of them.

"Are we taking turns? Or all at once?" One asked. He had spiky purple hair and tattoos everywhere.

"Let's punish her for trying to hurt you." One with green spiky hair replied.

"I like that idea." Her captor, a man with brown, long hair agreed. They all grinned, slowly stepping towards her. One pulled out a knife, and Lucy watched in horror as she crawled away. She was entirely defenseless.

"S-stay away from me, or else!"

"Or else what?" The one with tattoos asked.

"Get away from Lucy-san!" Wendy shouted, katana in hand. The three turned to face her, then they began to chuckle.

"Look at this squirt!" The brown haired one cackled.

"Wendy! You were supposed to stay in your room!" Lucy shouted.

"It wasn't _my_ room." She said with a smirk. _Huh?_

"She's not the one that's gonna tear you to pieces!" Gray and Natsu shouted from the corners of the room.

"Huh? Who're you? When'd you get in here?!" The green one asked.

"You messed with our friend, so we won't forgive you!" Gray shouted. Lucy was in disbelief as she saw her friends fight against the intruders. Wendy came over to her side, making sure she was okay. Wendy was abruptly pushed away, and Lucy was pulled up and into someone's arms, her back against their chest. There was a cold pressure at her throat, and she knew that it was from a knife.

"You move and this bitch dies!" Her captor from earlier yelled, full of fear. The other two men were on the ground, unmoving. Natsu and Gray's eyes were hardened, full of hatred. "I'm leaving here with her, and if you follow us, she'll die a horrible, painful death!" He cackled, pressing the knife into her throat. _Why am I so weak?_ Lucy began to shed tears of anger.

"You know what? Fuck you!" She grabbed his hand that held the knife, using all her strength to move it away from her throat.

She was surprised to find that he wasn't as strong as he seemed. When it was far enough away, she sunk her teeth into his arm, the taste of his blood in her mouth as he cried out in pain. She elbowed him, then turned and kicked him repeatedly in the legs, making him go down. He dropped the knife, and Lucy kicked it away. She then kicked him on the side of his head, hearing a loud crack with it. He then lay there on the ground, unmoving.

She kept kicking him in the stomach, that is until a pair of arms wrapped around her, pulling away. She struggled against them, trying to continue her fight. "Let go of me! I'm gonna kill him!" She screamed, kicking her legs.

"You already did!" Natsu constricted her against him as she uselessly flailed against him. Tears of anguish and hate streamed down her face as she stopped fighting, body going limp. Natsu took this moment to usher everyone out of the room, asking Gray to shut it. Natsu picked Lucy up fireman style, carrying her into her room. He shut the door behind him after telling the other two to stay in a room together, and to lock the door behind them. One room was too small for all of them.

He set Lucy down on her bed, still holding her in his arms. It hadn't sunk in that she had just _killed_ someone, and he was going to be here for her when it did. He ran his fingers through her disheveled hair, trying to get her to calm down. Plue sat up in the bed, looking between the two. Knowing that his friend was upset, he crawled into her lap, and she began to pet him.

Natsu silently thanked every god for Plue, gently pushing Lucy to lay on the bed. She laid on her side, still hugging Plue. Natsu brought the covers up over shoulders, then stood up to sleep on the floor. A hand shot out, grabbing his own, and he turned to see Lucy desperately holding onto him.

"Please don't go..." She whispered.

"I'll just be on the floor, Luce. I'm not going anywhere." Lucy didn't want him to sleep on the cold, hard ground, so she insisted that he shared the bed with her. After a few minutes, he finally agreed, climbing in behind her. A protective arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into his warm chest. He was shirtless, Lucy realized, and she began to blush.

"N-Natsu... Did I kill him?" She asked quietly, the crack resounding in her ears. She heard him sigh before replying.

"Yeah, Luce. But you had no choice. It was either you or him, and you chose to live on. Nobody's gonna blame you for that." He whispered in her ear.

"I killed someone..." Her body shook as she sobbed. She never thought she'd take the life of somebody else. What if he had a family?

"Luce, it's okay." Natsu whispered, rubbing her arm with his hand. Without realizing it, he had buried his head in the crook of her neck. He only noticed it when she tensed up, but she quickly relaxed, pressing her body back into his, as if she wanted to fuse with him. He took this as his cue to squeeze her into his chest, holding onto her protectively.

"Don't worry, Luce. Everything's going to be fine." He cooed. He didn't fall asleep until he knew for she that she had given in to slumber.

* * *

Lucy woke up, feeling relaxed. When her eyes opened, she was met with the dreadful reminder of last night's events. She didn't cry, though. She just felt... sad. She noticed something heavy draped across her hip, holding her in place. When she felt around for Plue, she noticed he had relocated to the end of the bed. Deciding to investigate what was holding her in place, she shifted her body, turning on her other side.

Her breath hitched when she was met with Natsu's sleeping face. His features were relaxed, and Lucy couldn't help but think of how cute he was. As if sensing a change in position, he pulled her closer, and her hands were trapped between his chest and her own. His breath fanned against her face, and she felt her ears get hot.

"Natsu?" She whispered. "Natsu~?" She was completely trapped by the handsome, shirtless man in her bed. "Natsu, wake up!" She said louder. He groaned in response, and nuzzled into the crook of her neck that was on the pillow. She felt her whole body heat up in embarrassment.

"Natsu, get up!" She said.

"I'm comfy..." He mumbled, tickling her shoulder.

"I don't care, wake up!" He pulled back, eyes slowly opening. When they focused on her eyes, he looked confused.

"Why do I have to get up?" He asked, voice deeper than normal. It made her lightly shiver in delight, and she cursed herself for it.

"Because you're trapping me!" Her hands had very little wiggle room, and his face being close to hers made her fidget nervously.

"Hey, you were the one who begged me sleep with you!" He defended. He had pink on his cheeks, which didn't go unnoticed by Lucy.

"And you were willing to!" She smirked as his blush deepened.

"Only because you practically dragged me into the bed!" Natsu's mouth twitched up as Lucy's own blush deepened.

"Bullshit!" Lucy said. She squeaked when Natsu climbed on top of her, hands by her face. She felt her cheeks get even hotter. "W-w-wait! If someone walks in, they'll get the wrong idea!" Lucy pushed on him, but he wouldn't budge.

"Why's your face red, Luce?" He asked huskily.

"B-because!" She kept trying to push him away. She couldn't help but notice his abs, and didn't realize that her hands stopped hitting him, instead resting on his chest. Her eyes met his, and her breath hitched again when she saw that his were locked on hers, their faces close to each other.

She held her breath as he rested his forehead on hers, eyes still staring into hers. "I don't know why, but I feel drawn to you." Natsu searched her eyes like they held the answer.

"W-what?" She whispered. _Drawn_ to her? Is that what she felt, too? Her mind felt like it was reeling. _Is he confessing to me? What_ _'s going on?_

"I don't know." He whispered. "Wait, I think I know what it is! We've met before!" Natsu sat up, a huge smile on his face. "When we were kids!"

Lucy racked her brain, trying to remember. Then, her mouth dropped. "You mean that was _you_ that teased me on the playground? You bullied me, like, everyday!" She frowned, also sitting up.

"I was being mean?" Natsu looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Natsu, you always pulled on my hair and made me cry!" Lucy was beginning to feel a bit of anger rise up within her.

"Oh, c'mon, there's no way that hurt!"

"You also pinched my cheeks! And you'd push past me if I was 'in your way'!" Lucy pushed the pink-haired man away from her, standing up. "I'm leaving for a bit." She went into the lounge to find Wendy and Gray trying to clean up the broken glass.

"Nee, Wendy, want to go take a bath with me?" She asked. "I think it'll help us relax from everything for a bit."

"Yeah!" She said, standing up. "Let me go get my shoes!"

"Make sure you take a weapon with you." Gray said, standing up. "Natsu and I will take one after you guys."

Lucy smiled, then groaned when she realized she had to go back to her room. _Hopefully Natsu isn_ _'t in there._ She crept inside, glad to not see him. She grabbed her whip and one of her swords, then threw her backpack on. She met Wendy in the lounge, and they headed out, happy to get clean.

* * *

Natsu was laying face down on his bed, groaning. "How could I have been so mean?" He asked himself, mentally smacking his forehead.

"Oi, flame brain, when the girls get back, we're gonna head out and take a bath. Oh, and I'm letting Plue in." The door cracked open, the little snowman creature waddling in. "Hey, listen when someone talks to you!"

"Yeah, whatever." Natsu mumbled. Gray left, muttering about how stupid Natsu was.

"Pun pun!" Plue said, earning Natsu's attention. He reached over, picking him up and set him on the bed.

"Don't worry, Plue. She'll be fine."

* * *

Lucy and Wendy washed up with the shampoo and conditioner Lucy found, both sighing in pleasure. They stepped out of the cold creek, letting the sun dry them. When dry, they began putting on their clothes. Lucy saw a shadow move over in the clearing, and she instinctively grabbed her whip, narrowing her eyes. A person was making their way towards the two freshly cleaned girls. As they got closer, Lucy noticed that it was a woman.

She had stunning red hair and she was wearing a dirtied white blouse with a short blue skirt. When she noticed Lucy and Wendy, her eyes widened, and she smiled, running over to them.

"You're the first two people I've seen on this island!" She exclaimed, slowing to a walk. "I'm Erza." She bowed politely, and Lucy did the same, followed by Wendy.

"I'm Lucy, and this is Wendy." Lucy said, standing up straight. "You've been by yourself this whole time?" She asked.

"Yeah, but I've been trying to find others."

"Do you want to stick with us?" Wendy asked.

"Do you guys have a place nearby?"

"Yeah, wanna join us? We were about to head back." Lucy offered her a smile, hoping she'd say yes.

"I'd like that very much!"

* * *

Lucy, Wendy and Erza approached their base, and Erza's mouth was agape.

"How'd you guys find this place?" She asked, staring up at the vine-covered building.

"It's a long story." Lucy opened the door. "We're back!" She called out.

"There's more of you?" Erza asked, stepping inside. Gray and Natsu came out of their rooms and to the door, stopping in their tracks when they saw the scarlet-haired woman.

"Who's this?" Gray asked, eyeing the girl carefully.

"Erza. We met by the creek." Wendy smiled.

And then, there were five.

* * *

The three girls instantly clicked, and were always together for the next few days. When they showed Erza the boxes of weapons, her eyes lit up. Apparently she had to kill everything that got in her way by hand. She had actually taken kendo classes, so she was highly skilled with swords.

"Wow, Erza-san, you're amazing!" Wendy exclaimed. Erza had been teaching the group how to do kendo, starting off with wooden sticks. It was hard for Lucy at first, but she was finally getting the hang of it. She was able to knock Gray down, but she couldn't do it to Natsu. He was much stronger and faster than her, and it reminded her of the fight that they never got over.

They had hardly talked in days, only conversing when needed. He was able to take her down easily when it came to kendo, which pissed her off even more. _I can_ _'t believe that I_ liked _this guy!_ Anger seethed through her body as she entered the building, deciding to call it a day. Plue was napping on her bed, and she didn't want to disturb him, so she crashed on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

She thought about the man she killed, and how he was buried in the back. She no longer felt remorse for the man; it was either her or him, and she didn't want to die just yet. She made a choice, and she had to deal with it for the rest of her life. Nobody knew where his friends went, but they figured they wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. She sighed, sitting back up.

"This is awful." Lucy muttered, standing. She walked up the stairs, on her way to the vine-covered roof. She climbed up the stairs and opened the door, letting the sun shine warmly against her skin. She was careful not to trip over the vines. She sat on the edge, letting her feet dangle over the side. The building was at least 100 feet off of the ground, and the thought of falling made her take more caution. Erza and Natsu were going against each other, grunting with effort.

"I hope she kicks his ass." She saw Wendy sitting beneath a tree, her back leaning against it. Gray was standing under another tree, watching the fight intensely. Erza expertly dodged all of Natsu's attacks, but he was able to do the same against her. Lucy smiled when Erza was finally able to get him on the ground, stick pointed at his chest. _She_ _'s really strong._

Erza backed up, helping Natsu up from his spot on the ground. They shook hands respectively, then a fight broke out between Natsu and Gray, Erza effectively ending it by smashing their heads together. Lucy giggled, which turned into a chuckle, which led to full on laughter. Everyone looked up at her as she cracked up, holding her stomach.

She wiped her tears away, still smiling like an idiot. Her heart felt light with happiness as she stared back down at her comrades. Natsu didn't look up at her, but just went inside, door slamming behind him. She flinched at the noise, wondering what crawled up his butt and died. _Did he think I was laughing at him?_ She brought her legs back up, standing up. She walked over to the door, opening it. Her smile faded when she climbed down the stairs. _Maybe I should try to talk to him._

She stopped in front of his bedroom door, hand raised to knock. She stood there, pondering on whether or not she should actually knock. _I don_ _'t want to talk to him when he's like this._ She backed away, instead going into the lounge room. Everyone else was in there, talking merrily. Her eyes landed on Natsu, who took up the couch. _Good thing I didn_ _'t try to go in his room if he's out here._

Lucy walked over to the fireplace, which was empty. She sat beside it, ready to put logs into it, when she noticed something small and black on the back end of it.

"What?" She leaned in, then noticed the shape of the small hole. "A passage?" She brought out her key, inserting it into the lock. The fireplace groaned, and everyone turned their attention on what the blonde was doing. She pushed against the cool brick, using all of her strength to open the fireplace. She leaned into it more, the door finally giving away.

Lucy fell forward from the strength, then found herself falling into a deep, black pit. She heard her name being screamed as she fell into the abyss. She screamed herself, heading face first towards whatever awaited her. The walls were gone, and she guessed she was falling into an open space. She crossed her arms over her face a second before she hit the ground.

"Lucy?! Are you okay?!" Erza shouted.

"I-I think so..." The light above was small, and she wondered just how far she had fallen. "Will you throw down a flashlight or something? I can't see." Bad memories flooded her brain, and she began to breathe heavily. "P-please hurry!" She shouted.

"Here it comes!" Gray shouted. Lucy saw a small light falling into the abyss, landing a few feet away from her. She grabbed it, shining it around her.

"Luce, stay there! I'm coming!" Natsu shouted, but Gray and Erza held him back.

"Idiot, you can't go down there!" Gray shouted.

"Lucy-san, do you see any stairs? Can you get back up?" Wendy called.

"I don't know, let me check!" She shouted, standing up. Pain spiked through her right ankle, and she fell over in pain, yelping.

"What's wrong?" Erza called out.

"My ankle! I think it might be sprained!"

"Let me go down there!" Natsu shouted, trying to push past his friends.

"Lucy, you need to try to get up!" Wendy shouted.

"I-I'll try!" She called back, carefully standing. "I can stand, but walking's going to be a bitch." She flashed her light around, noticing that there was something on the ground; a corpse. Lucy cried out in surprise, staring at the dead man.

"Luce?!"

"Why are there so many dead people on this damned island?!" She cried out, backing away from the rotting corpse. She turned around, trying to find a way out, happy when she found a set of stairs that lead upwards. The rest of the room had old desks, and Lucy made her way towards them. "There's a few desks I'm going to check out!"

She opened the first one, finding nothing. The next one was the same. Lucy cursed, the pattern continuing. All of her hope was lost when she approached the last desk. She opened it, finding an old book. She tucked the flashlight under her chin as she flipped through the pages. _A diary!_ She smiled, holding onto it tightly.

"I found a diary! And some stairs, so I'll be up soon." She hobbled over to the stairs, but tripped when something wrapped around her ankle. She sat up, flashing the light on her good ankle. Wrapped around it was a... _hand?_ Lucy's eyes met the black sockets of the corpse, which groaned.

Lucy's mouth opened, a blood-curdling shriek escaping. She kicked away the dead man, scrambling backwards.

"Luce?!" Natsu screamed. She could only screech when the corpse crawled over to her, groaning. Her screams continued as it got closer to her. She could see chunks of skin and meat missing, and part of its skull showed.

"Natsu!" She screamed, her back hitting the wall. "Help!" She couldn't even cry, she was so terrified. But nothing compared when the corpse stood up, towering over the poor girl. Its dead fingers extended towards her, ready to choke the life out of her.

"Get away!" A stick knocked the corpse over, and Lucy looked up to see a _very_ angry Natsu holding his practice stick. "Nobody scares my friends like that!" He whacked the corpse several times before it quit moving. Natsu ran over to Lucy, picking her up bridal style. She held onto the diary with one hand, the other wrapped around his neck.

He ran up the stairs, cursing when he heard the corpse groan, standing back up. He ran up the stairs as quickly as he could, but they never seemed to end. He turned back, seeing the corpse _running_ up the stairs.

"Fuck..." He mumbled. Lucy buried her head in his chest, heart pounding a mile a minute. "There!" He shouted, and Lucy looked up to see a share door in the ceiling, the stairs leading right to it. He threw it open, slamming it right as the corpse hit the door. It screeched in anger, clawing at the door, which thankfully had a lock.

"Luce, are you okay?" She just sat there, shocked. They were in the basement she had searched, but she never noticed the door. "Luce? Answer me!" Natsu shook her gently, and she stared at him, before losing control. She threw her hands around him, pulling him into a crushing hug, her body shaking violently.

"Natsu! Lucy!" Their friends, yelled, running by their side.

"What happened?!" Gray asked, staring at them. Lucy told them everything, still holding onto Natsu for dear life.

"A walking corpse?" Erza asked, eyes narrowed.

"Just what the hell is this island?" Gray asked. Wendy trembled, too.

"I'm gonna put Lucy in her bed. She needs to rest." Natsu stood up, carrying Lucy bridal style once again. She didn't argue; bed sounded good after all of the shit that just happened. Natsu opened her door, laying her down on her bed. He carefully removed her shoes and daggers, then laid next to her, facing her.

"Are you okay?" He asked, tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

"No." She whispered. How could she be when she was just chased by a corpse?

"I'm here for you, Lucy." Natsu said quietly. "Want me to check your ankle?"

She nodded, rolling onto her back. Natsu looked at it carefully, deducting that it was only sprained. He dug in her bag, pulling out some gauze that was part of the first aid. He gently wrapped her ankle, then laid down next to her, meeting her eyes.

"I'm sorry for everything that I did when we were young." Natsu said, shocking her. "I didn't think it was mean, I just thought I was poking fun." Lucy stared into his eyes, then gave him a small smile.

"It's okay, Natsu." She propped herself up, pecking his forehead. "I'm not mad anymore." His face turned red, and Lucy just giggled at him. She gently laid back down, sighing. "Thanks for saving me." She whispered.

"It's my pleasure." He smiled, pressing his forehead against hers. She blushed, and he smirked at her. He leaned in, gently placing a kiss on her soft, pink lips. He felt her tense for a moment, but she relaxed, melting into the kiss. They didn't hear the door open, and stopped their kiss when Erza, red-faced with embarrassment, mumbled a quick 'sorry', rushing out of the room, leaving the two to lay there in embarrassment.

* * *

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Oh, my! So much drama! And dead people roaming around? What?! WHAT?!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone had been on the island for about a month, and Lucy knew something bad was bound to happen. Everything had been too easy over the past week, and she could feel everyone's guard being let down.

One morning, Lucy went into Wendy's room, but she wasn't there. She also wasn't out practicing with everyone, either, and all of her things were in her room, so she couldn't have left their base. Lucy wandered around, calling out for her, but paused when she heard faint whispering.

 _"Shut it, brat!"_ Lucy could tell it was a man's voice, so she followed it carefully, trying to be quiet. They were coming from out back.

"Get of-" Wendy's voice was muffled.

"This is payback from a few weeks ago. If not for you, that blonde bimbo would be ours! And our leader would still be here!" Lucy's blood ran cold, realizing who captured Wendy. She didn't have time to tell the others, otherwise Wendy could be taken somewhere and hurt.

"Let her go." Lucy growled, stepping outside and into view of the enemy. Sure enough, there was tattoo guy and his green-haired partner, the former with his hand smushed against Wendy's mouth.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is! Came to join the party, toots?" Greenie smirked.

"I _said,_ get off of her!" Lucy said, confidently stepping forward.

"I don't think so." The tatted guy pulled out a knife, holding it against Wendy's throat. Wendy's eyes widened in fear. "Now, be a good girl and come with us, or else your friend gets it."

Lucy's eyes narrowed, and she slowly walked forward, the green-haired man harshly grabbing her wrist. She had none of her knives, and her whip was in her room, leaving her totally defenseless.

"Good girl." His grinned sickened her, and she wanted _so badly_ to just punch him in the face. With a boxcutter.

"Now, if either of you scream, you won't survive." The tatted guy removed his knife and hand, and Wendy ran over to Lucy, who embraced the young bluenette.

"Don't worry, Wendy. It'll be okay." Lucy ran her fingers through her soft blue hair, comforting the young girl.

"Enough! We need to get going, unless you want to travel at night." Lucy shivered, knowing the dangers this island had up its sleeve during the dark hours.

Lucy and Wendy walked through the forest, leaving behind the comfort of their base. "I bet you chicks will make nice editions to our collection." The green one grinned wickedly.

"Collection?" Lucy asked.

"What, you think you're the only girls on the island? We have a few back at our base. Our friends should be keeping them happy enough." The tatted one snickered. "Hey, Akio, when should we get back?"

"I don't know, Kota. Maybe another three hours? We went through a lot just to get you bitches!"

Lucy wrapped an arm around Wendy's shoulder, as if to protect her from the words spewing out of their captor's mouths.

* * *

Upon arriving at the base of their enemies, Lucy blinked several times, noticing just how many girls were there. There were _at least_ 10, which surprised Lucy. She recognized the female flight attendant that gave her motion sickness patches, and felt sorry for her. Her face was bruised, and her uniform was ripped up badly.

"Here, go play!" Kota pushed the two towards the wooden fence that kept the girls prisoner. They shut the door behind them, cackling.

"Bastards..." Lucy grumbled. "You okay, Wendy?" The bluenette nodded in response. "Good." Lucy looked up, noticing that the other girls were staring at them. They all looked lifeless, and Lucy's heart became heavy with sorrow for them. They were skinny, and their clothes were torn.

"U-um..." Wendy looked uncomfortable, looking around.

"Sorry about everyone staring. We haven't seen any _new_ people in a while..." A blue haired girl walked towards the two. "I'm Levy, and welcome to Hell."

"I'm Lucy, and this is Wendy. What's going on here?" She looked around, watching as the girls went back to staring into a void of nothingness.

"Well, we're being held prisoner for the _assholes_ that run this place. They do whatever they want to us..." Levy shivered in disgust. "Sometimes, girls don't come back alive..." She looked down at her feet, sighing.

"Is there any way out?" Wendy asked.

"If there was, I wouldn't be here right now." Levy smiled sadly at her, patting her head. "Juvia? Come here!" Levy called, watching as another girl with blue hair shyly walked over to them. "This is Juvia. Juvia, this is Lucy and Wendy."

"Juvia is sorry you got stuck here. It's so horrible..." She had bruises on her face and neck, discoloring her beautiful porcelain skin.

"Don't worry, our friends will come and save us!" Lucy said confidently. "I know it! And if not, then we can do this!"

"There's so many men here, though. At least 15..." Levy trailed off, all hope in her gone.

"Alright, flight attendant bitch, it's your turn." A man opened the gate, a sick smile on his face. The flight attendant, whose name card said _Kaoru,_ slowly made her way over to the man with blonde hair and green eyes.

"That's Kenji." Levy whispered, watching with pity as the door closed behind Kaoru. "He's the worst. We've lost about four girls to him..." Levy looked over at Juvia, who rubbed her bruises.

"Juvia, did he do that to you?" Lucy asked, eyes wide.

"H-hai..."

"Oh, he's _so_ gonna get it..." Lucy felt an anger boil inside of her.

* * *

Kaoru never came back, and it had been hours. Levy muttered a silent prayer for the poor girl, as she did for all of those who never came back. Wendy had fallen asleep on Juvia's shoulder, who played with Wendy's hair. It was dark, and there was a fire crackling outside the fence.

"Hey, wake up the one who's sleeping. I want _her_ now." Kenji said, smiling. Lucy's heart dropped when she realized he meant Wendy.

"No..." Wendy groaned when Juvia sadly woke her up, tears in the corners of her eyes. Wendy's face dropped when she realized what was going on.

Kenji opened the door, heading over to her. Before he could touch her, Lucy got in his way, arms out.

"I don't think so." Lucy threatened.

"Oh ho ho, what's this, now?" Kenji smirked, pushing Lucy out of the way. "I don't have time for you." He placed a hand on Wendy's shoulder, who in return squeaked.

"I _thought_ I said _no!_ " Lucy punched him in the face, watching as he stumbled back. "She's not going _anywhere._ "

"L-Lucy-san..." Wendy had begun crying by this point.

"Don't worry, Wendy, I won't let anyone hurt you." Lucy turned back to Kenji, who was growling. She noticed everyone looking at her; shocked. Apparently, nobody stepped up to this bastard before.

"You bitch! Who do you think you are?!" He spat.

"That little girl's big sister. Lay another filthy hand on her, and you'll lose it." Lucy put her hands on her hips, staring defiantly into his eyes. In all honesty, she was scared of this man, but she couldn't let anybody hurt Wendy.

"Heh, you're feisty." He was about to throw a punch at Lucy, but she skillfully dodged, silently thanking Erza for her lessons. When he tried to kick her, she jumped back. "Stand still!" His face was getting red with anger.

"Never!" Lucy threw a punch, smiling when it connected with the side of his face. He spat blood onto the ground, then smirked.

"Wow, I haven't had a good fight in a _long_ time." He circled Lucy with amusement. "I might just have to make you my woman..."

"Not even in your dreams." He smirked at this statement, but her face was stoney.

"Kenji, what's going on?" A group of guys came over, watching him.

"Tonights' entertainment. Wanna make a bet?" He asked Lucy.

"Depends."

"If I win this fight, then you become my woman, nobody else gets to have you. And I can do _whatever_ I want to you... Then, all the other girls will be murdered right in front of your eyes." He smiled dirtily, but she didn't even flinch.

"And if I win, you let _everyone_ go."

"Not happening, toots. You have to stay. Everyone else can leave. No matter what, you're _mine._ " Lucy considered this, but she knew she had no choice.

"Deal."

"Lu-chan, you're crazy!" Levy stared at her incredulously.

"Wendy, when I win this, take everyone back to our base, where they'll actually be treated like _people._ " Lucy kept her eyes on her enemy.

"B-but Lucy-san..." Wendy sobbed.

"Promise me!" Lucy shouted.

"H-hai! I-I p-prom-mise!"

"Good girl." Lucy smiled gently, bringing her fists up in a fighting stance. There was _no way_ she could lose, especially when so many lives hung over her head.

"Let's do this!" Kenji ran at her, fist pulled up.

She sidestepped at the last second, swinging her leg backwards, effectively kicking him in his calf. He jumped back up, smiling. He ran at her again, but she didn't have time to dodge, his fist painfully hitting her collar bone. She flew backwards, hitting the ground. She forced herself to stand back up as he came running at her again. This time she was able to dodge by jumping, stepping on his head. She pushed off, landing a few feet away.

The other girls in the fence began to cheer for Lucy, whereas the men cheered for Kenji.

"Luce!" She heard a familiar voice shout.

"Natsu?" Lucy turned to see a pink head of hair push through the crowd, followed by the rest of her friends.

"It's rude to not pay attention during a fight!" A sharp pain bloomed in the back of her head as Kenji's fist hit it. She fell on the ground, but before he could kick her while she was down, she rolled out of the way, jumping up.

"Hey, don't you dare touch her!" Natsu yelled.

"Shut up, pinkie. This is _our_ fight, so stay out of it." Kenji smiled wickedly at him.

Natsu was about to rush at Kenji, but Erza firmly held him in place.

"Don't worry, Natsu. I'll be fine." Lucy felt more strength course through her body at the sight of him, and she smiled.

"It doesn't matter, since you'll be _my_ woman either way." Kenji cackled.

"Shut it, moron!" Lucy shouted, punching him in the jaw. Then, she jumped, kicking him with both of her feet.

He grabbed them as he fell, throwing her into a part of the fence, making girls cry out and scatter. Lucy groaned, rising up. Kenji stood up, smirking at her. _I can_ _'t lose!_ She willed herself not to shake as she stared into his eyes.

"You know, it'd be a shame to hurt your beautiful face..."

"It'd be a shame to _not_ hurt yours!" Lucy ran at him, dodging another punch. She flung her own fist at his face, but he caught it.

"Aww, babe, why you gotta act this way?" He twisted her hand, and she grimaced. "Don't worry, I'll break you in after this fight, showing you who's boss."

"You shouldn't talk to a _lady_ like that." She used her other hand, punching his face. " _That_ was for Juvia!" She screamed, landing another punch on his face. "And _that_ was for Kaoru!" Kenji let go of her fist, pushing her down on the ground.

He kicked her side, making her yelp. Natsu screeched at him, but this was _her_ fight. "Maybe I should use you in front of pinkie? I'm sure he'd _love_ it."

"Fuck off." Lucy muttered, wincing when he kicked her again.

"I won't let you do anything like that to her!" Natsu screamed, held back by Gray and Erza.

"Oh, don't you know?" Kenji turned to face him, momentarily not looking at Lucy. "We made a bet!" Natsu's eyes narrowed.

"What kind of bet?" He asked.

"If I win, she stays with me, and I kill every girl I have prisoner in front of her eyes. If she wins, I let everyone _but_ her leave. Either way, she's mine."

"N-no..." His eyes were wide.

"You're being rude!" Lucy shouted, foot connecting with Kenji's head. "I killed your other leader, so I'll do the same to you!" The girls cheered louder, hope restoring the shine in their eyes.

"You talk all high and mighty for a little bitch!" Kenji shouted, putting the rest of his strength in his flying fist. Lucy knew if she got hit by it, it'd be game over. So, as he got close, she kicked her foot up, hitting him right in his jewels.

He doubled over, falling to the ground. "That was... dirty..." He mumbled, grabbing his crotch.

"There weren't any rules. Now, just as you promised, everyone gets to leave." Lucy smiled at her victory.

"And you stay." He shakily sat up, still smiling.

"Like hell!" Natsu shouted. "Luce is staying with _us_!" Her friends drew their swords, watching how the men cowered in fear.

"A deal's a deal, pinkie!" Kenji shouted, finally able to stand up. He slung an arm around her, earning a growl from Natsu. She shrugged him off, ushering all of the girls out of the fence, then shut the door behind her. Everyone was illuminated by the fire, and Lucy saw how Natsu seemed to turn evil.

It was then that all hell broke loose.

"Bees!" A man shouted, swatting the air, running around. Others began to do it, too. One man cried out as he got stung, then he fell in a heap on the ground, unmoving. A girl screamed when she, too, got stung. She fell to the ground, dead.

Everyone began screaming, and Lucy panicked. "Everyone, we have to leave!" She shouted, pushing Wendy, Juvia and Levy towards her friends. Her group ran into the forest, leaving behind the screaming men and women. They wanted to save the others, but they couldn't risk losing one of their own, so they ran, following Natsu as he lead the way.

"You're not gonna leave _me_ behind, right, babe?" Kenji smiled at the shocked form of Lucy, who kept running.

"What are you doing?" She asked, panting.

"You're mine, remember? So we go places together." Lucy sighed, trying to focus more on running than the obsessed man. It took them a long time before reaching the base, and everyone collapsed inside the lounge, panting from the long run.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Natsu shouted when his eyes landed on Kenji.

"Sticking with my woman." He replied, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Guys, I think that we can all agree to leave this for the morning. In the meantime, I'll show the new people to their rooms." Erza stood up, Levy, Juvia and Kenji following her.

"Until later, princess." Kenji swiftly kissed Lucy's cheek, making Natsu growl.

"I'm too tired to even care anymore." Lucy muttered, getting up to make sure the door was locked. Her eyes landed on the window that was boarded up, then she turned, going to bed. "Night."

* * *

Lucy woke up the next morning to a warmth in her bed. She smiled, snuggling up to Natsu, who wrapped his arms around her in response. She sighed, opening her eyes, only to meet green ones.

"Morning, babe. How'd you sleep?" Kenji asked, smiling. Lucy shrieked in response, flailing out of bed. She was half-naked, and she didn't want to be touched by _him_ of all people.

"Pervert! How'd you get in? I locked my door!" She tried her best to cover up with her blanket, face red.

"Locks were meant to be picked. Especially _yours._ " He wiggled his eyebrows, making Lucy gag.

"Luce? What's wrong?" Natsu opened her door, mouth hanging open at the sight in front of him. "What the?"

"Damn, babe, I _told_ you not to scream so loud!" Kenji chuckled, earning a growl from Natsu.

"What did you do to her?!"

"Nothing she didn't want. You should've seen her, she was cuddled up to me _all night long._ "

"Pervert!" Lucy shouted, pointing her finger at him. It was then that Natsu noticed she was half-naked, and he became more angry.

 _Could this island get_ any _worse?_ Lucy thought, watching as the boys fought.

Oh yes, Lucy, it most certainly can.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Ugh, it_** ** _'s so late. I just wanna sleep. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! And thank you 'A French Girl' for always being supportive of me! I hope you have fun on your bus ride to work! I hope this chapter was good enough!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	9. Chapter 9

Lucy's job was to show Levy how to use kendo, whereas Gray taught Juvia and Erza taught Kenji. Nobody was exactly happy with him joining the group, but as Erza said, he's strong, and if it came down to it, they'd want him on their side.

Levy groaned as Lucy knocked her down once more, stick pointed at her chest. "Do you want to call it a day?" Lucy stuck her hand out, helping her friend stand.

"Yes, please." Levy popped her back, sighing.

"How about we take a bath?" Lucy felt the sweat and grime seep into her body, making her feel disgusting.

"That's the best thing I've heard in a _long_ time." Lucy smiled as the two walked back inside, each going to their rooms for weapons and supplies.

Lucy giggled when she saw Plue sleeping on her bed. _He_ _'s always sleeping..._ She grabbed her swords and daggers, stopping when she noticed the forgotten diary next to her bed. She had yet to go through it, but she was kind of scared to. This island was full of terrifying creatures, and walking corpses. She shuddered, remembering the zombie downstairs.

She grabbed the book, shoving it into her bag, then met Levy in the lounge. After notifying Erza, they set off, chatting on their way to the creek.

* * *

The cold water sent goosebumps all over their skin as they waded in the water.

"Nee, Lu-chan, how're things between you and Natsu?" Levy asked as they began to wash their bodies.

"What do you mean?" She asked, lathering her hair in shampoo.

"Well, aren't you guys dating?"

"I think so? He's wishy-washy, like one moment he's all protective of me but the next he's focused on something else. But I'd like to think we're together. What about you, Levy-chan? Anybody in your life?" She watched the bluenette shake her head.

"No, I tend to just stick to my books." They finished washing themselves, then dried off in the sunshine, relishing the warmth it provided. "What do you think is up with this island?" Levy asked as they threw on their clothes.

"I don't know. I think that the creatures here are too weird to be natural, and what's up with the buildings?" Lucy remembered the diary, and she fished it from her bag. "I meant to read this, but I didn't want to do it alone. Wanna read it with me?" Levy's head vigorously bobbed up and down.

They opened the diary to the first page, beginning to read.

 _August 7th, X751_

 _It_ _'s been many years since I've kept a diary, but I think it's best to do so now. I'm on a ship headed towards Tenroujima; the island of science and sin. I'll be a new researcher there, and I wonder what awaits me. Many scientists entered to be part of this life-changing experiment, and I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw that I was accepted to join the amazing scientists that would be stationed there._

 _I don't know exactly what's going on at this island, but I know I'll be stationed there for many months, maybe even years. My poor mother must be worried sick about me, but I know she'll be fine, especially with my beautiful wife and daughter to take care of her. I'll miss them, but I know I shall return to them some day._

 _\- J. H._

"J. H.?" Lucy asked. "I wish that they'd put their full name..."

 _August 20th, X751_

 _Greetings, diary. It_ _'s been quite some time since I've written in you, and I figured that I should try to update you regularly. I've been on this island for a few days, but nothing's really happened so far. I haven't been given any jobs, only to stay in my room - which has barred windows - and never to go outside alone, or at night. Of course, this intrigues me as a scientist, and I want to see what secrets are going on here. Maybe I'll escape tonight? If I do, though, I could lose my job... Maybe I shouldn't. I'll think about it._

 _\- J. H._

 _August 30th, X751_

 _The other scientists have introduced themselves to me, and I believe that they don_ _'t care for me. They just firmly shook my hand, then they left to do whatever their job asked of them. I miss my family already. I wonder how they are? I can't contact them; I'm not allowed to. If I had known that it'd be against the rules, I wouldn't have agreed to come to this island. I miss hearing my wife and daughter's sweet voices._

 _I haven't left this damned residence hall yet. I'm not allowed to until I begin my work here on the island. I wonder when that will be? Hopefully soon, I'm bored out of my mind! And there's something off about this island and the scientists...I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's like everyone is hiding something from me..._

 _\- J. H._

 _September 14th, X751_

 _Today I get to leave the residence halls. I'm not allowed to bring you with me, diary. I'd love to record things in you, but alas, it's against the rules to do so. First off, I get to go on a tour of the island. Then, I get to observe the laboratory. Wish me luck!_

 _\- J. H._

 _November 27th, X751_

 _I keep forgetting about you, diary, and I do apologize. Lately, I've been quite busy with my work. This island is quite intriguing! I've even met the man who runs this place. He loves his daughter. I believe her name is Layla? He has a picture of her on his desk, and he just gushes over her. I wish I brought a picture of my family, too. I miss them dearly._

 _My work on this island is very complicated. We're doing research on everyday animals, which I don't quite understand why. There's been no actual experimentation yet._

 _-J. H._

Lucy stared at her mother's name, holding her breath. _My family is behind all of this?_ She noticed Levy staring at her, a worried expression on her face. Lucy had told her about how she found her mom's picture here, which the bluenette found odd. At least now they knew why.

"Do you want to stop reading, Lu-chan?"

"No, we need to keep going. There's only a few pages left, anyway." And so, they continued to read.

 _October 5th, X751_

 _This island is full of sin, diary. We_ _'ve begun our experiments, but I didn't sign up for this! We're combining animal parts! I don't understand how this could possibly benefit the human race, and it makes me nervous. Will we be cast out of Heaven? Have we turned our backs against God?_

 _-J. H._

"Oh my god, these animals really _are_ manmade!" Lucy knew it, but she wanted it be wrong. How could her family do such a dangerous thing?

"Lu-chan, this is amazing new information! We have to tell the others soon!" But for now, they decided to finish.

 _October 20th, X751_

 _Today was the day we succeeded in creating a stable life form. It's an ostrich mixed with a flamingo. It has the body of an ostrich, but the neck, feet and coloring of a vibrant flamingo. It's quite spectacular, if I do say so myself. Now, we're at the point of no return. We must push forward, and keep experimenting. The boss said he has a 'promotion' for me. I don't like the sound of it, in all honesty. Maybe I'm overthinking it? I hope so._

 _-J. H._

 _January 3rd, X752_

 _We've had many successful experiments over the past few months. It's kind of exciting, really! I've not heard back about that so called 'promotion' yet. Maybe the boss forgot? Who knows. Anyway, I have to get going. Wish me luck!_

 _January 25th, X752_

 _My boss said I can have my promotion, but that I'd get it in a week or two. I don't know why, but apparently it's a celebratory thing. I've also noticed something odd. I was the only scientist to be drawn from the contest; the others were hired beforehand. I wonder why? There's also something else that's bothering me... Why isn't this island on any map?_

 _\- J. H._

 _February 7th, X752_

 _I don_ _'t know how much time I have to live, so my only hope is too put the truth in you, diary. I was right to worry about that 'promotion'. I've been experimented on, and I fear that I'll die. They've gone and injected some serum_ _into my right arm; I can still feel the sting. I was told that my body will die, and I_ _'ll lose control of my mind and actions. I'll be like a zombie. It was either this, or my family would be killed. I miss my family._

 _If anybody is reading this, my name is Jiro Hatsumi. I am a 34 year old man. This island is full of sin, and God doesn't exist here. If you've found this diary, then I'm so sorry. The animals here are obviously not like any other, and they will try to harm you. If I attack you, then please forgive me. I never wanted to hurt anybody. Please, be safe. Try to escape while you can! Get off of this island! It'll only kill you! There's one other thing you should know; the animals here are only after one thing; revenge. They're attacking the boss nonstop, and I bet they'd attack any family members he had. It's their smell. The boss can't bring his daughter here, for she'll be attacked, just like him. Good luck._

 _\- J. H._

Lucy and Levy stared incredulously at the last page, hearts dropping into their stomachs.

"Nee, Lu-chan? Aren't you, uh, related to the boss?" Levy stared at her wide-eyed.

"Y-yeah, I am. I wonder if that's why I've been the one targeted?" Lucy thought back to what Gray said when they first got to the radio tower; about how she was the only one who got in trouble.

"Lu-chan, you're in danger! We need to get you back to the residence hall befo-" She was cut off by a growl. Both slowly turned around, and Lucy saw the beautiful red wolf from before.

"Oh my Mavis..." Lucy grabbed a sword, pulling it out in front of her. "We need to get out of here. Levy, you need to go ahead without me."

"No, Lu-chan! I can't just _leave_ you!"

"Levy, I'll be fine. I need you to go back, okay? Trust me." The wolf was getting closer, which made Lucy nervous. "Levy, go!" Lucy shouted.

"B-but -"

"Levy, it's after me, not you. Please go back." The wolf was circling them now, teeth bared.

"No!" Levy shouted, pulling out one of her daggers. "What kind of friend would I be if I ran away?" She smiled, and Lucy couldn't help but smile back.

The wolf snarled, lunging at Levy. The girl yelped in surprise, dodging to the left.

"Are you okay?!" Lucy cried.

"Y-yeah, it didn't get me." The wolf locked eyes with Lucy, and she had a bad feeling in her gut. It lunged at her, pinning her down on the hard ground. She shrieked as it tried to bite her neck, holding it back with her hands. Her sword had fallen out of her reach, and she could feel the timer on her life ticking.

She screamed again when it bit her hand, her blood gushing from the wound.

"Lu-chan!" Levy cried out, and Lucy noticed that there were now _two_ wolves. Levy was shaking, dagger pointed at the other wolf. Lucy felt more pain as the wolf sunk its teeth deeper into her skin, and she groaned.

"Get off!" She cried, pushing the wolf away. She grabbed her other sword, plunging it into the wolf with a sickening crack. It merely twitched, then became motionless. Lucy regretted having to kill something so beautiful, but she needed to live.

Levy's shriek brought Lucy's mind back to reality. She quickly grabbed her sword as she ran towards the beast that had Levy cornered, her back against a tree. Lucy's left hand was useless as it gushed blood all over her. She ignored the pain, letting out a battle cry as she lunged at the wolf, her sword sinking deep into its body. The wolf cried out, making Lucy's heart flop with guilt as it fell motionless to the ground, eyes wide with fear.

"L-Lu-chan!" Levy carefully examined her friends' hand, tears coming to her eyes. "W-we need to get you back to the base!" They wasted no time in grabbing their things, hastily making their way back to their shelter. Lucy's vision was beginning to get blurry from the lack of blood, but she held onto consciousness, panting as she and Levy ran.

What felt like hours were really several minutes, and Lucy smiled slightly in relief at the sight of their base, craving to lay down. _I don_ _'t know if I'll make it, though._ Her legs felt like goo, and her vision was going black. Her running had slowed down dramatically, much to the dismay of her friend.

"Don't worry, Lu-chan. We're almost there!" Levy put Lucy's good arm over her shoulders, helping to carry most of her weight. Kenji was the first to notice the two approaching, and Lucy heard him curse, the last thing she saw was his form running towards them, and then her eyes closed, her body feeling pulled down by gravity.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Yeah, I know this chapter wasn_** ** _'t the best, but I've been really busy with schoolwork. College classes are scary! I hope you guys liked this update, and I'm sorry for any mistakes I've made. It's super late right now, so have a good night, minna!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	10. Chapter 10

Lucy slowly began to regain her consciousness, her eyes slowly fluttering open. The room she was in was dark and cold, making her slightly shiver. _Where am I?_ She slowly sat up, realizing she was on a bed. As her eyes slowly adjusted to the dark, she noticed the outline of a door, so she shakily walked over to it. She noticed that her hand was bandaged, but since she couldn't see anything in the dark, she decided to wait to inspect it until there was light.

The door creaked open as she stalked out into the hallway, following a flickering light. She came into a lounge room, her eyes landing on the fire in the fireplace. When she saw who was next to it, memories flooded her brain of where she was. That pink hair...

"Natsu?" She whispered. His head perked up, and his smile made her heart skip in her chest. "Natsu!" She ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Luce, you're okay!" He buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent - vanilla.

She pulled back, smiling. Their little moment was interrupted by a cough. It was Erza, looking at the floor in embarrassment. "I'm glad to see you're okay, Lucy." She smiled.

Lucy jumped away from Natsu, walking over to Erza. "Thanks, Erza. How long have I been out?"

"A few days. Natsu has been by your side nonstop." At this, Lucy blushed, glancing at Natsu. "And, Lucy, Levy told us everything." Erza's eyes were darkened. "You're not allowed to be alone anymore, is that understood?"

"H-hai." In her mind, Lucy could't help but think of her friends getting hurt because of her. This thought scared her. Maybe she should leave the group? Everyone would be safer then...

"Anyways, it's late. Even though you just woke up, you need your rest. Shall I accompany you to your room?" Erza asked.

"I got it, Erza." Natsu grabbed Lucy's hand, despite her protests. They entered her room and he shut the door behind him.

"N-Natsu, what are-"

" _I'm_ going to be the one that looks after you." She could see his fierce eyes in the moonlight that filtered in through the barred window. "I almost lost you, Luce. I won't let that happen again." She felt his hand caress her cheek in the dark. Her heart stopped in her chest as she stared into his eyes, her cheeks heating up.

"N-Natsu..." She didn't realize her hands were on his chest, or that they were slowly inching towards each other.

"You're _mine,_ Luce." The space between them closed as he pressed his lips against hers, lighting a fire in their souls. Not even stopping the kiss, he picked her up, placing her softly on the bed, his body over hers. When she felt his tongue lick her lips, she granted him access to her mouth, letting him explore her cavern.

Before it could go too far, though, Lucy slightly pushed Natsu away, keeping her hands on his chest.

"Luce?" He asked, his breath fanning her face.

"We should try to get some sleep, Natsu. I have a feeling that tomorrow's going to be a long day." He groaned, but complied, laying next to her.

For a while, they just talked about getting off of the island, and what they'd do when they got back home.

That is, if they _ever_ get home...

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _It's short, I know. But I haven't updated this story in a long time. So I hope it was enough to tide you guys over for now!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	11. Chapter 11

Natsu was by Lucy's side 24/7, but she didn't mind too much. Kenji, of course, was irritated about it, but he'd just stalk away to his room. Every now and then, Lucy's small hand would find its' way into Natsu's larger one, making her feel safe. However, she knew that all good things wouldn't last.

What would happen if something happened to either of them? How would the other react? Were they only setting themselves up for despair? These thoughts plagued Lucy's mind every hour, making her blood run cold. If the diary was right, then isn't she risking everyone's lives by staying with them? And what was up with this damned island? Was nobody searching for them?

"Luce? You okay?" A warm hand gently squeezed hers, and she looked up to meet concerned onyx orbs.

"Y-yeah! I was just, um, thinking about dinner! I'm super hungry!" She lied.

"Oh, well Erza and Gray should be back soon with something to eat." He smiled at her, making her heart flutter. Did she really want to risk his life?

"Nee, Natsu, I'm feeling tired, so I'm gonna go lay down. I'll see you later." She let her hand slip from his as she began to walk back towards the building. She thought that maybe some sleep would do her well.

 ** _xxx_**

Lucy awoke to something lightly shaking her arm. She groaned, opening her eyes, staring down at Plue. He had a paw on her arm and kept shaking it.

"Plue? What's wrong?" She picked up the little creature, stroking his soft fur.

"Pun Pun!" He jumped out of her grasp and began waddling towards the door. Curious, Lucy jumped up and followed him. He lead her out the back door and into the bright sun. The light stabbed at Lucy's eyes and she had to cover them for a moment. When she uncovered them, Plue was out of sight.

"Plue?!" Lucy ran to the forest, peeking in the bushes. "Plue, where are you?!" She cried out, heart racing. When she saw something white disappear behind a tree, she ran towards it, sighing when she found her little friend.

"Plue! Don't scare me like that!" She picked him up, trying to cradle him, but he just jumped out of her grasp once again, beckoning for her to follow him. Unsure of herself, she slowly began to follow him, taking extra precaution since she didn't have her weapons on her.

They had been walking for about 15 minutes before Lucy gasped in shock as Plue waddled up to an old truck. It looked heavy duty, but time and the elements had done their damage to it; she was sure it wouldn't ever be drivable again. It was covered in vines and rust.

"Plue, how on Earth did you find this?" She walked over to him, scooping him up in her arms, and this time he didn't fight her.

She carefully opened the door, afraid that something would jump out at her. When nothing did, she peered inside, seeing more rust and vines covering the floor of the truck. The cushions were ripped, stuffing falling out.

"Why is there a truck so far away from the building?" She mumbled, setting Plue on the seat as she slid in, too.

She checked the backseat, but only found more rust. She pulled down one of the visors and a manilla folder fell out onto her lap, along with a cloud of dust. She began coughing, waving the dust away from her face. On the front of the folder was the word _classified_ written in big red letters. She knew she couldn't be gone for much longer, so she tucked the folder under her arm, deciding to check the glovebox next. She opened it, peering inside, gasping at its contents. Inside was a gun and two poxes of ammunition.

"No way!" She exclaimed, pulling it out. It looked to be in great shape! It was a small pistol with rounds already loaded into its chamber. "I think Natsu said something about being really good with guns..." She grabbed the ammunition, folder and gun with one arm, picking up Plue with the other. "I seriously hope I don't shoot myself." She muttered, closing the truck door behind her.

She took off running into the forest back towards the residence hall. She made it back in about seven minutes, running through the building and out front where everyone was practicing kendo. Although, all attention was on her as she stumbled over to them breathless, setting Plue on the ground next to her. Running + heat = sweaty nastiness.

"Lu-chan? Are you okay?" Everyone put down their practice sticks, walking over to the panting blonde.

"Look at this!" She held up the gun proudly. Everyone collectively gasped, and she noticed a twinkle in Natsu's eyes.

"Where'd you find that?!" Gray exclaimed, eyeing it like it was a piece of gold.

"There's a truck near here. Plue lead me to it after my nap! There's also this..." She gave Natsu the gun and ammunition, who looked like a giddy little schoolboy.

She brought out the manilla folder, a smile plastered on her face. "I haven't looked at it yet; I figured we could all do it together." She led everyone, including Plue, into the lounge, setting the folder on the table. An uneasy feeling crept into her stomach as she slowly opened it, eyes widening at all of the papers inside.

"Is... Is that Plue?" Wendy asked, pointing to the picture in the top right corner of the first page. Sure enough, Lucy's little friend was pictured there, seeming to wave at the camera. The rest of the page was covered in information about Plue, such as his hight, weight, birthdate (or in this case, creation date) and description.

Plue put his paw on his picture. "Pun pun!"

Lucy began to flip through the pages, pointing out the creations they had seen so far. At the end, though, was a page that made everyone's blood run cold. The picture in the corner showed a beast covered in scales. It stood on four feet, a tail with spikes sticking up behind it. The claws it had looked like they could slice into a human as if they were butter. It had a lion's mane and the face of a... _human?!_

"What in the actual _fuck_ is _that_?!" Kenji exclaimed, eyebrows knitted.

"Something we should _definitely_ stay away from." Erza replied. Lucy shivered as she stared at the picture.

"What if that thing's out there? Loose in the forest?" Juvia asked, trembling like Plue.

"Guys, it says here that it spits out acid!" Levy exclaimed, pointing at the description. Lucy's blood felt icy, her fingers slightly trembling. What if this thing came for her?

"We need to get off this damned island..." Kenji muttered, closing the folder. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't want to look at that anymore."

"Agreed." Gray said, running his hand through his hair.

"Hey, why does pinkie get the gun?" Kenji crossed his arms over his chest.

"He has experience with them." Lucy replied, mimicking his actions.

"So do I, princess." He winked at her, but she just rolled her eyes.

"We don't trust you enough." She retorted back, standing up with the folder. "I'm going to put this somewhere safe." She walked back to her room, sliding the folder under her mattress, where she kept the diary she found hidden.

This island just kept getting more interesting...

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _It took forever to write this damn chapter. I hope it was good enough!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	12. Chapter 12

Ever since Lucy had found that manilla folder, nobody wanted to leave the residence hall. Everyone feared the large creature, and Lucy couldn't blame them. Fear had been weighing her heart down dramatically, and she didn't have the energy to do anything active for a long time. They had all discussed building a raft to escape the clutches of the island, but when Lucy showed them the pictures of the terrifying hybrids that lived in the surrounding ocean, the idea was immediately pushed aside.

The depression that everyone was in was suffocating, and Lucy felt like she needed to escape it, so she climbed to the roof, sitting on the edge of it. The sun beat down on her skin, but she was becoming used to it. She had been on this island for who knows how long, and she didn't really see herself getting off of it.

She pulled the map from her skirt, smoothing out the wrinkles. On it, it said that there was a laboratory nearby. She knew that it needed to be checked out, but the thought of the terrifying creature possibly living there scared her too much. She knew she needed someone to go with her, but she was sure Natsu wouldn't let her go. Especially if the creatures of this island wanted her, more than anyone, to die.

"What're you doing by yourself, princess?" A voiced whispered into her ear, making her yelp in surprise.

"What the hell?" She asked Kenji as he sat next to her.

"You know you shouldn't be out here alone." He said, staring out at the trees.

"What's it matter to you?" Lucy huffed, shoving the map back into her pocket.

"I can't let my woman die on this accursed island." He smirked when he saw her scowl.

"I'm _not_ your woman!" She crossed her arms.

"A deal's a deal, sweetheart." He grinned, and Lucy just sighed.

"You know how I feel about Natsu."

"Doesn't matter. So, why are you up here without lover boy, anyway?"

"Everyone seems depressed, and I felt suffocated down there." She stared out into the distance, wondering where that laboratory was. When she saw it, she gasped, muttering about how she had found it.

"Found what?" Kenji squinted, trying to find what she was talking about.

"N-nothing! I was talking to myself."

"You're a bad liar, princess." He grabbed the map from her pocket, making her shout at him, calling him a pervert.

"What's that? A laboratory?" He squinted, finally able to see the building. "You're going there, aren't you? And you're probably not even gonna tell lover boy, are you?"

"W-what? Of course not!"

"As I said before, you're a bad liar. I'm in. We going tonight?"

"Wait, _what?_ Who said you can go?" Lucy just realized that she admitted to going to the laboratory, mentally smacking her forehead.

"If I can't go, then I'll tell everyone downstairs that you're planning to go all by yourself, and then they'll _never_ let you leave this building again." Lucy drew in a sharp breath, but she knew that she couldn't argue with him. She sighed, wanting to punch him off the roof.

"We leave tonight. When everyone's asleep. Bring your weapons with you, and I'll bring the backpack. I'll get the gun from Natsu's room later." She couldn't believe that she was letting him tag along on her little adventure, but she had no choice.

And she hoped she wouldn't regret it.

 ** _xxx_**

For the rest of the day, Lucy helped Wendy picked some herbs close ( _very_ close) to the residence hall. When they were done, they headed back inside and stored them in the basement. The corpse had stopped trying to attack a long time ago, but Lucy still got chills whenever she went down there. She was sure she'd need some intense therapy after she got off this island. That is, if she ever got off of it.

"Lucy-san, do you think we'll be able to escape this island?" Wendy asked, as if ready Lucy's thoughts.

"I don't know, Wendy. But one thing's for sure; we won't stop trying to escape!" This seemed to make the little girl feel better, but Lucy couldn't help but feel bad for her. She had her whole life ahead of her; she of all people shouldn't have crash landed onto this island. She was far too innocent for _any_ of this.

"Wendy, will you come help me with dinner?" Erza called from above.

"Yeah!" Wendy called back. "Do you think you can finish up here, Lucy-san?" She asked, knowing that Lucy hated the basement.

"Of course! Leave it to me!" Lucy smiled as the petite bluenette ran upstairs to help cook whatever animal Erza caught in one of her traps.

"Need some help?" Levy asked, scaring the hell out of Lucy.

"S-sure!" They chatted about several books that they had read, and it was like they had been best friends for years. For a moment, Lucy forgot that she was in the basement of a run-down building on a horrible island. Instead, she felt as if she were at the library, discussing literature.

When it was time for dinner, reality came back as they began eating what looked like a squirrel rabbit. Kenji made eye contact with her, but she quickly broke it, remembering their plans for tonight. She didn't know if she could trust him or not, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

So when everyone started to go to bed, she cursed herself for being so careless, because now she had a date with the devil.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _I know it's short, but I didn't get to update it yesterday. So, here you guys go! I hope you've enjoyed!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	13. Chapter 13

Have you ever wandered the woods at night, listening to the crickets chirp? Lucy never got to before; at least, not leisurely. It was somewhat relaxing, but she knew she couldn't let her guard down. Kenji silently walked next to her, eyes glittering in the moonlight that filtered through the leaves.

"Why did you want to come with me?" Lucy asked, breaking the silence between them. Kenji eyed her for a moment.

"I want off this cursed island. And there _must_ be something in that laboratory." She just nodded in agreement. "Hey, princess, why do you think that little snowman hasn't tried to kill you yet?"

Lucy was taken aback by the question, but he had a point. Why hadn't Plue tried to kill her yet? He was, after all, a creation of her grandfather. Shouldn't he hate her?

"I-I don't know." She mumbled. Plue was like a cute dog to her; he couldn't kill her, could he?

"Don't worry, princess. I won't let anything kill you." Lucy peered at the man striding next to her, wondering what was up with him, considering she had beaten him up at his creeper camp. Before she could voice this, he stopped walking, a smirk on his face. "We're here."

Lucy brought her attention to the looming building before her. It was covered in vines, and the windows had bars on them. Carefully, Lucy took the gun from her bag, the cold metal sending chills through her body. She didn't want to use it unless she had to.

"We can't split up, no matter what." She said, looking over at Kenji. "Or else we could be killed by something."

"Don't worry. We'll make it back to the residence hall by dawn." Lucy could only hope he was right as he walked to the door, throwing his shoulder into it to open it. However, it wasn't working; the door wouldn't budge. "What the?" Kenji backed up and that's when Lucy spotted it; a card reader.

"We need a staff card." Lucy walked over and inspected the card reader. It was old, but it seemed to work still. Did that mean... "This place has electricity?" She turned to look at Kenji, as if he had the answer. "No way!" She glanced up, noticing an old security camera. The red light was flashing, and she swore she saw the lens move, zooming in on her.

So, she waved, earning an incredulous look from Kenji. She also began to jump up and down, all while banging on the door.

"What're you doing? It's not like there's-" Kenji was interrupted by the door opening, "- people?" An older man stood before them, a look of pure confusion plastered on his face. Behind him was a hallway lit up by fluorescent lights.

"W-who're you?" He asked. Lucy noticed the gun in his right hand, finger near the trigger.

"More like who're _you,_ gramps?" Kenji asked, growling at him.

"Kenji!" Lucy smacked his head. "Don't be rude!"

"Geez, princess, you don't have to be so aggressive..." He grumbled, rubbing his head.

"My name is Lucy Heartfilia, and-"

"Did you say _Heartfilia_?" The man gasped, jaw practically dropping to the ground. "Come in!" He quickly pulled Kenji and Lucy inside, shutting the door behind them. Before Lucy could ask who this man was, he began to take long strides away, beckoning for the two to follow him down the hallway.

At the very end of the hallway, the man turned into a room, Lucy and Kenji following suit shortly after. There were monitors set up everywhere, each with different room. One caught Lucy's eye, though.

"P-people...?" She couldn't believe her eyes. On the screen was about two dozen people in a cafeteria. There were _people_ living on this island! They were _saved!_

... Right?

"We have to let the others know that there's people here!" Lucy was excited. Perhaps these people knew how to get off the island?

"There's more of you?" The man asked, eyebrows raised in curiosity.

"Our plane crashed here. We've been here for a long time..." Lucy glanced at Kenji, who was looking at the monitors. "Do you know of any way off this island?" Lucy asked. Something didn't feel quite right...

"There's no escape, Miss Heartfilia. And I'm afraid your friends won't be able to join us. We don't have the rations for that." The man smiled sadly. In a split second, his smile got brighter. "Rations... Yes..."

"W-what? We can't just leave them there to die!" She shouted, but the man didn't even flinch. His large smile began to freak her out, and she backed up a few steps. "We're just going to leave." Lucy said, turning around to leave.

"They won't die there." She stopped at his odd sentence.

"What do you mean by 'there'?" Kenji asked, slightly putting himself between Dr. Crazy and Lucy.

"They'll come here. We haven't had fresh meat in years..." The crazed look in his eyes made the two blondes freeze with fear.

"What the fuck is your problem?!" Kenji yelled, backing away. Dr. Crazy took this time to slam his fist down on a red button, which was followed by the sound of alarms.

On the monitor, Lucy noticed everyone in the cafeteria scattering, no doubt on their way to imprison their guests.

"Kenji, we have to go!" Lucy shouted, grabbing his wrist. They ran away from the laughing scientist and down the hall towards the entrance.

"Stop them! The girl is a _Heartfilia!_ " The scientist from before shouted as the two broke through the door and into the forest. The alarm was _extremely_ loud, and would no doubt attract unwanted attention.

After a few steps into the forest, Lucy could hear the sound of multiple people running after her. Kenji glanced back and cursed.

"We need to shake them off our trail! We can't lead them to the others!" Lucy said, jumping over a root. A gunshot fired, and the bullet went through the root she just jumped over.

She yelped, picking up her pace. "These guys are fucking crazy!" A few more gunshots resonated through the air, barely missing the two.

"Give me the gun!" Kenji yelled, taking it from her. He aimed it back towards the enemy while keeping his pace. He shot it a few times, and Lucy could hear a few cries of pain. Sure, she felt bad, but her life was on the line, too.

"We'll find you!" Yelled the scientist from earlier. "And we'll get rid of you, miss Heartfilia! I'll dance on your grave myself!" She shivered, continuing to run. They ran in the direction of their base, the sound of footsteps no longer behind them.

The sound of the crickets chirping filled Lucy's ears once again, but this time, she didn't enjoy it. Not since the alarm was still blaring.

 ** _(A/N)_**

 ** _Finally! Another chapter! Ahhhhhhhhhh!_**

 ** _Leave a review!_**

 ** _~StarCrusader~_**


	14. Chapter 14

The alarm finally cut off after several minutes, leaving the forest quiet. The crickets had stopped their chirping at this point, leaving the only noises coming from the two running between the thick trees, their breaths short and raspy. The silence was rather unsettling, making Lucy even more anxious than she already was.

Not a word was uttered between the two as they ran back to the old residential building for what seemed like hours. When it finally came into view, Lucy couldn't help but feel relieved, although she knew the others would be furious. The alarm undoubtedly woke them up, and she could just picture how upset Natsu would be.

The two crashed into the residence hall, slamming the door behind them. A dark room was all that greeted them upon their arrival, but soon a head poked out from the hall, quickly followed by several more.

"Luce?" A quiet voice called out softly. "Is that you?" A body stepped into the room carefully.

"It's Kenji and I." The blonde said aloud. Just then, a pair of small arms wrapped around Lucy's waist.

"I was so worried about you, Lucy-san!" Wendy cried out. Smiling softly, Lucy stroked the young girl's hair with one hand, pulling her tighter to her body with the other.

"I guess we've got some explaining to do, huh?" Kenji asked, stepping up beside the blonde.

* * *

A fire was dancing in the fireplace, casting a bright glow on the room everyone was currently huddled up in. Lucy shifted uncomfortably as everyone stared at her and Kenji, awaiting their explanation. She honestly didn't know what to say, since she knew she wasn't supposed to leave the residence hall, but had anyway, making her friends worry so much about her.

She knew that, out of everyone, she had disappointed Natsu the most, and she felt ashamed of that. This mission was supposed to go so smoothly, nobody would have guessed that she had been gone at all. She knew she wasn't supposed to be so reckless, but she wanted to do _something._

"Well?" Erza asked, her stern gaze piercing a hole through the two. "What happened?"

So, Lucy took a deep breath, hesitantly explaining why she had left with Kenji, and why there were alarms. As she told the story, she studied everyone's faces, trying to determine what they were thinking of the entire situation. She got nowhere with this, however, since they all had a blank face.

When she finished, she expected them to yell at her, but there was an uncomfortable silence. The blonde glanced over at Kenji, who did the same. She could tell that he didn't really care what everyone thought about their actions, but he was still plagued with anxiety. What happened at the lab had really shaken him up, whether he wanted to admit it or not.

"I say we go after those guys." Natsu broke the silence, his eyes deadly blades.

"And do what? Kill them?" Erza asked. Lucy could see Wendy flinch, and she just wanted to pick her up and take her away from this awful place. She was too young to be in this type of situation.

Levy saw Lucy looking empathetically at the young girl and decided to take Wendy to her room, where she'd stay with her for the night. She didn't need to hear this conversation. Once the two bluenettes were in the bedroom, everyone continued on with the conversation.

"I shot some of them, and they probably won't survive out here with bullet wounds." Kenji said. A shiver ran down Lucy's spine as she remembered the cries of pain echoing in the night. What if there were children who were hurt because of them?

"Do they know where we are?" Juvia asked. This question had been in the back of everyone's mind, but everyone was too scared to ask it aloud.

"I don't think so. I didn't tell them where we are." Lucy stared into the fire, trying to lose herself in it. She shouldn't have left, and she wished she hadn't.

"Good." Gray said, moving to the hallway. "I think we should all follow Levy and Wendy's example and go to bed. We need to train ourselves harder from now on, and we need to rest before that."

"I agree." Erza said, standing up. "Lucy, you need to be kept under watch, along with Kenji. What you two did was reckless, and you two can't be trusted to be alone again." The blonde felt her stomach drop as she stared at the red head before her.

"What? No way!" Kenji stood up, staring Erza down. "I don't need a babysitter. _Especially_ by one of you. I think that this proves that Lucy and I are fine by ourselves, since we took on so many threats at once."

"Shaddup! You almost got Luce killed!" Natsu stood, and Lucy could tell he wanted to punch someone in the face.

"Natsu, I'm the one who tried to leave without backup. Kenji only came along to make sure nothing happened!" Lucy didn't want things to escalate between the two, since they hated each other enough already. "I know that we don't deserve to be trusted, but don't you think keeping a watch over us is a little extreme?" She looked over at Erza, but felt her blood run cold at the demonic aura radiating off of the woman.

"You get no say in this situation. Either of you. You both put everyone in danger, and because of this, you will be watched. Gray, you will keep an eye on Kenji. Lucy, you're with me. We can sleep in your room if you want." Without waiting for a response, she disappeared down the hall and into Lucy's bedroom.

"This is dumb." Kenji muttered as he sulked to his own room, Gray close behind.

Lucy looked at Natsu, who just simply looked away from her. He was disappointed, and she knew she deserved to be ashamed of herself. An overwhelming hopelessness formed in the pit of her stomach. She would never be free from everything until she got off of this goddamn island.

* * *

The following days were miserable for our blonde friend as she always had a pair of eyes on her. She felt like Erza was training her harder than anyone else, which always ended up with Lucy on the ground, a stick pointed at her chest and a bruised bottom. There had been no sighting of the mad scientist and his army of people, but Lucy was glad for that. She didn't want to know what would happen between her group and theirs.

Her group had tried several times to come up with an escape plan, but so far, none of their ideas were reasonable. If they built a raft, they could easily be killed by any water creatures. They had no idea how to build a ship, which pretty much left them out of options. Lucy could tell that everyone was beginning to feel as though they would be on this island until their deaths, which was very plausible.

One day, Levy and Lucy were on the roof, staring at the rest of the island. The cool breeze felt good on their tired bodies after a long day of training. Everyone else had gone inside as the sun began to set, leaving the two girls to relish the beauty of it. How could such a beautiful place be so dangerous?

"Ne, Lu-chan, I think we should go back to the plane." This took Lucy by surprise.

"Why's that, Levy-chan?"

"Well, there could be supplies there that we could use. Clothes, batteries, maybe even dome non-perishable food?" Her blue haired friend looked at her, a slight blush on her cheeks. "Maybe even some books?"

At this, Lucy couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't blame Levy for wanting to escape the island for a bit, even if it's just through stories.

"I think that sounds like a great idea! I know that I left a few things behind that I'd like to retrieve. Especially my clothes!" She had been forced to wear the same outfit everyday, which was really gross. The two giggled and began to feel excited about the idea of fresh garments.

They were so caught up in the conversation that they didn't see a ball of blue and another ball of white hurtling towards them from the horizon. Two furry, terrifyingly fast balls of fur.

One hit Lucy in the chest, sending her sprawling backward as the other did the same to Levy. They were so shocked that they couldn't cry out. Lucy sat up, rubbing her head. In her lap lay a blue ball of fur, which looked back up at her with large eyes.

"Kyah!" She and Levy simultaneously scrambled backwards, wondering what new threat just introduced itself.

"Wait!" The blue ball called out in a high-pitched voice. The two girls looked at each other, confused. They looked back at the balls, which now resembled two little cats with wings. One was white and the other was blue.

"Did... Did you just...?" Levy couldn't finish her sentence due to the shock of what just happened.

"Talk?" The white one finished for her. The two girls stumbled backwards, their eyes twitching.

"Are you a Heartfilia?" The blue one asked, pointing to the bluenette.

"No, dummy, it's her!" Said the white haired cat, pointing to Lucy.

"Eh?" The blue one looked between the two humans, sniffing the air slightly. "Ohhh! You're right, Charle!" The small white one just sighed, pointing her attention to Lucy once more.

"I'm Charle and this is Happy. And we've come to warn you."

* * *

 **(A/N) Hey guys! I know it's been, like, over a year since I updated. So, here you go! Of course I had to involve the Exceeds in some capacity!**

 **Leave a review!**

 **~StarCrusader~**


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